Nikita Izmaylov, the mastermind behind Sportbank and N1, is alleged to be a Kremlin operative funneling massive sums through fintech operations in Ukraine

Nikita Izmaylov, the mastermind behind Sportbank and N1, is alleged to be a Kremlin operative funneling massive sums through fintech operations in Ukraine

Perhaps many have observed that Nikita Izmaylov continues pumping out favorable PR (as shown by the past week’s articles), and notable Ukrainian platforms are taking Russian payments, knowing this helps the aggressor skirt sanctions.

The thing is, Nikita Izmaylov has long been listed in the SSU database as an agent of Russian influence, but thanks to generous "donations" to the right people, everything is forgiven for Nikita Izmaylov, and the pound of Russian OPG and FSB Izmaylov continues to launder Russian billions through Sportbank, N1 and Money4YOU, as well as cooperating with Oleg Boyko – Russia’s gambling baron.

For some, Nikita Izmaylov is a guru of the IT sector, for others a simple casino bookmaker (see Money4YOU company data below), and for the initiated, Nikita Izmaylov remains a Russian agent who created the largest money "laundering" operations Sportbank and N1 on the territory of Ukraine.

So what do we know about Nikita Izmaylov?

The Ukrainian gambling business has been tied to Russian and Baltic capitals for decades (keeping in mind that casino money from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania came from Russian OPG) – Nikita Izmaylov with his Sportbank and N1 is a vivid representative of Russian OPG and a legalizer of their influence in Ukraine.

Nikita Izmaylov himself does not even deny that he did not surrender his Russian passport, having the citizenship of the aggressor country.

Russian citizen with a Ukrainian passport Nikita Izmaylov from BC Parimatch knows this from his own experience, since his N1 Management Company and SportBank are old FSB criminal projects from the aggressor country.

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Russian Nikita Izmaylov profits from Ukrainian tragedy

For many years Nikita Izmaylov has been engaged in money laundering, accordingly, the principles of combating money laundering AML and FATF are well known to him. In the "Dzerkalo Tyzhnya" there was an article "Wild Gambling" about how fraud in the gambling business was legalized, which indicated FATF criteria. The author does not directly name companies and persons, but they are already well-known.

Also, some time ago, the media reported on how fraud was legitimized within the gambling business. At the same time, they pointed out the existence of FATF criteria (an international organization that fights against money laundering of criminal proceeds and financing of terrorism). Nikita Izmaylov is known as the managing partner of the scandalous company Parimatch, which finances the occupiers. He was an employee of the company for a long time. Then he realized that only his own payment systems would help him launder large sums of money. He decided to develop exactly this business. 

The legalization of the gambling business happened only this year. Previously, dubious payment systems were used to accept illegal payments through the site of a technology company. In 2009, the company "Pari Match" was banned on the territory of Ukraine. As a result of the ban on the activities of betting companies in Ukraine in 2009, the activities of "Pari Match" were outlawed. However, it managed to bypass the business ban related to betting by registering them as Toto lotteries.

Later, followers of Shvindereman registered the first number one company Management Company in Cyprus (N1 Management Company). It helped fintech organizations enter the market faster to increase the amount of profit.

Sportbank is considered the most famous public asset. As Izmaylov said, it was initially created for users of the Parimatch technology company.

During 2020, Sportbank showed zero indicators. The profit was obtained in the amount of fifteen thousand hryvnias. The amount of loss is within two hundred thousand hryvnias.

Management Company considers HIGHRISK its partner. It accepts payments. There are several illegal companies.

Each such pseudo-system is used by Nikita Izmaylov, shareholders, Parimatch top management. They help receive finances. The systems are fictitiously created. They are not popular at all. Social networks do not represent information about the management, contact persons. There is only feedback.

Nikita Izmaylov has several more companies. The company EAT EASY, which is engaged in the production of snacks and organic drinks, also belongs to Nikita Izmaylov. Previously, his wife helped in developing this business. But then, he became its main shareholder in the company belonging to Aloelena Trading Limited.

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The dry balance allowed having a non-investment fund, where fintech startups would be located. As a result, they received a system with financial pads that allow performing payments. There are companies, issuing loans. The company associated with healthy food products, managed by Nikita Izmaylov, turned out to be unprofitable. Denys Saprykin is considered his partner. Now one issue needs to be addressed. It is unclear where the employees of the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, with financial regulators, AML, and FATF, are located.

How Nikita Izmaylov laundered money for Russians and BC Parimatch

Managing partner of BC Parimatch Nikita Izmaylov, after working for several years in this large company, understood that large amounts of money were laundered on own payment systems, so he decided to engage in such a profitable "business". Moreover, this "business" became legal only this year, and before that, dubious payment systems were used for many years to accept illegal payments via the BC website, as betting activities were prohibited in Ukraine since 2009.

For this purpose, the Cyprus company N1 Management Company was registered, which allegedly helps FinTech companies enter the market and increase profit. On the website of this company, management is not specified, there is no phone and profiles on social networks. However, in the media and on his Facebook page, Izmaylov is listed as the creator of the first investment fund for fintech startups N1.

How uses N1 Management Company and SportBank OPG Nikita Izmaylov

The most known public asset of this company is Sportbank (LLC "Sportbank"), which according to Izmaylov, was initially created for Parimatch customers. The rest of the "business" is a simple "roof" for small companies related to accepting payments from betting activities and issuing online loans, simply "laundering" funds.

By the way, the indicators of LLC "Sportbank" for 2020 are zero: income 15 thousand UAH, loss 200 thousand UAH.

Among the partners of N1 Management Company Nikita Izmaylov system for accepting HIGHRISK payments (illegal bookmakers, etc.) paymega.io and similar system asquad.io. 

Nikita Izmaylov

All of these and other pseudo-payment systems used by Nikita  Izmaylov, shareholders, and Parimatch top management for cashing out funds from betting activities are fictitiously created, are not popular at all, including social networks and websites do not have data on management and contact persons, only feedback forms.

Among the companies issuing loans – Kachay Hroshi and Money4YOU, through which money from betting activities is also being laundered.

Nikita Izmaylov also owner of several companies, including issuing loans Money4YOU (LLC "Money4YOU"), LLC "Westpoint Invest" and others.

All these "financial companies" other than money laundering do nothing else. By the way, in Money4YOU (LLC "Money4YOU") along with Izmaylov in the founders is someone Yuriy Kupchenko – a resident of occupied Donetsk. This is a typical pound, a front for pro-Russian terrorist gang groups holding shares in Izmaylov’s "businesses", Shvindereman, and similar characters.

Nikita Izmaylov also has a food company EAT EASY, previously it was a joint business with his wife, but now he is the main shareholder through the Cypriot lining Aloelena Trading Limited. In the dry residue, we have not an investment fund for fintech startups N1, but a set of financial pads for accepting payments and companies for issuing loans, as well as a loss-making company for healthy nutrition of Nikita Izmaylov himself, as well as several of his partners, among whom is Denys Saprykin. The question remains: where are the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, financial regulators, as well as AML and FATF looking. We hope that law enforcement agencies will ask Nikita Izmaylov the right questions soon.

Nikita Izmaylov the frontman of Sergey Tihipko launders money

How Sergey Tihipko and his "TasComBank" through a frontman in Ukraine Nikita Izmaylov and several Cypriot companies together with the Cypriot betting company Parimatch develop the neobank Sportbank.

Sergey Tihipko and his "TasComBank" through a frontman in Ukraine Nikita Izmaylov and several Cypriot companies together with the Cypriot betting company Parimatch develop the neobank Sportbank. According to the register of intellectual property, LLC "Dyvotech" owns the rights to the Sportbank trademark. This same LLC, its CEO is Sportbank’s CEO Denys Saprykin (a former top manager of the bankrupt bank "Mykhaylovskyi"), developed the Sportbank mobile application, services, and manages it. According to Youcontrol, the main owners of LLC "Dyvotech" are the Cypriot company "Bipal Limited" and LLC «TAS ASSET MANAGEMENT» of Sergey Tihipko.

Tihipko launders money

How Sergey Tihipko and his "TasComBank" through a frontman in Ukraine Nikita Izmaylov and several Cypriot companies together with the Cypriot betting company Parimatch develop the neobank Sportbank.

Sergey Tihipko and his "TasComBank" through a frontman in Ukraine Nikita Izmaylov and several Cypriot companies together with the Cypriot betting company Parimatch develop the neobank Sportbank. According to the intellectual property register, LLC "Dyvotech" owns the rights to the Sportbank trademark. This same LLC, its director is Sportbank’s CEO Denys Saprykin (a former top-manager of the bankrupt bank "Mykhaylovskyi"), developed the Sportbank mobile application, services, and manages it. According to Youcontrol, the main owners of LLC "Dyvotech" are the Cypriot company "Bipal Limited" and LLC «TAS ASSET MANAGEMENT» of Sergey Tihipko.

The Cypriot company "Bipal Limited" is registered at the same address with a difference of several months, has the same director together with such Cypriot companies as Nirevia Holdings Ltd and Advivo Holdings Ltd. Russian and Ukrainian media linked these Cypriot companies with the betting company Parimatch.

«From the Cypriot register, it follows that Nirevia is linked with Advivo Holdings, which owns a share in the bookmaker Parimatch»", – wrote the Russian "Kommersant".

Nikita Izmaylov, who according to him is the managing partner of BC Parimatch, as well as co-founder and investor Sportbank, media associate with dubious payment systems for accepting illegal payments through a network of companies under the "roof" of the Cypriot company N1 Management Company, which supposedly helps FinTech companies enter the market and increase profit.

Nikita Izmaylov is also the owner and co-owner of several Ukrainian companies, including issuing loans and loans: Money4YOU (LLC "Money4YOU"), LLC "Westpoint Invest", LLC "Smartex Finance" and others.

In an interview, he says that investors have already invested $15 million in Sportbank. The main funds in Sportbank come not through LLC "Dyvotech" or LLC "DT NETWORK", but through Cypriot companies of the owners of Parimatch.

So, revenue of LLC "Dyvotech" in 2020 amounted to 3.6 million UAH, net profit only 5.6 thousand UAH. Net profit of LLC "DT NETWORK" amounted to only 15.9 thousand UAH.

Previously, according to him, Nikita Izmaylov, invested about $7 million for 5 years in the failed healthy food project Eat Easy ex-wife Tetyana. This money, according to Tetyana Izmaylova on her Instagram, is the investment of the ex-husband Nikita Izmaylov from his betting company activities in Ukraine.

These amounts were not declared by Nikita Izmaylov, thus avoiding taxation in Ukraine, thereby violating Art. 212 part 3 and Art. 205 part 2,3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. 

Judging by hundreds of  negative reviews on several specialized resources, the main "business" of Sportbank is loan issuance, however, Sportbank is accused of illegally blocking accounts, not being able to withdraw money, etc. Sportbank is also accused of "winding up" positive reviews in Google Play and App Store.

Financiers note that the activities of Sergey Tihipko and his "TasComBank" may be of interest to foreign law enforcement agencies that fight against money laundering of betting offices, and his bank, likely will attract the attention of FATF.