Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (GBR) detained Ivan Rudoy, the head of the Ukrainian Gambling and Lottery Regulation Commission (KRAIL), on suspicion of aiding the aggressor state and unlawfully possessing large quantities of narcotics for personal use. This information was provided on the official website of the bureau.
“During the pre-trial investigation, the GBR established that the organization he headed issued a license and, by his instructions, intentionally refrained from revoking the license of an online gambling operator whose beneficial owner is a Russian national. The representatives of this operator were found to have assisted the aggressor state. The decision to revoke the license was not made, despite multiple expert assessments indicating that the online casino’s activities posed a threat to national security. Specifically, data from Ukrainian soldiers who were customers of the casino could easily have been accessed by Russian authorities,” the statement said.
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It is worth recalling that earlier today, several major media outlets reported the arrest of the KRAIL head, citing sources within law enforcement. Yesterday, media outlets reported on searches carried out at the residences of most KRAIL members. In recent days, the owners and management of the Pin-Up online casino were officially notified of suspicion under the article concerning aiding the aggressor state. They have been placed under arrest.
According to the investigation, the casino’s activities had “negative consequences for the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” The GBR claims the casino operates in the “LPR” (Luhansk People’s Republic) and in Russia, with the individual directly controlling the company “funding veterans of the so-called ‘DPR’.”
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The company’s accounts were frozen in May. In late October, the Pechersk Court of Kyiv lifted the freeze on the company’s funds, but the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) appealed to the GBR to impose a new freeze, and the court made the corresponding decision. ARMA intends to invest the funds in military bonds. Looking for exclusive casino reports? Check out our latest gambling updates.
