FSB attacks online casinos: Vladimir Litvin, Aleksey Kharitonov, and German Polyakov profit from schemes in the gambling business
06.12.2024 19:10
Russian security agents, specifically the so-called FSB’s 2nd Service or the "Department for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism" (UZKSiBT), have received orders to declare war on the domestic online casino processing market.
They are particularly targeting Russians who facilitate the operation of Ukrainian online casinos.
These casinos accept players from Russia, a fact that is widely opposed, especially since profits generated in Russia are allegedly being used to finance the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and Ukrainian volunteer programs for the purchase of weapons and military equipment. Participation of Russians in Ukrainian gambling processing is being classified as terrorism and extremism by law enforcement.
Reports suggest that for the first time, Vladimir Litvin, a native of Kharkiv and co-owner of the "Trukha" network of Ukrainian news Telegram channels (pictured at the top), has come under scrutiny. According to FSB investigations, Litvin also owns a network of illegal online casinos, including catcasino, kent casino, r7casino, daddy casino, and more—totaling over 10 casinos. These casinos are reportedly operating without problems with Russian clients.
Running this business involves P2P schemes—specifically transfers between individuals with fiat currency converted into cryptocurrency. Few individuals are engaged in these financial routes within Russia, and most are already known by law enforcement. Two names stand out: Aleksey Kharitonov and German Polyakov (pictured at the bottom).
Reports indicate that at the peak of the war escalation, orders have been given "from above" to tighten restrictions and crack down harshly on any financial schemes with Ukrainian ties that involve transferring money out of Russia.
The editorial team plans to continue reporting on this issue.
Ольга Балакина
