The Bureau of Economic Security and the Office of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported suspects in ten individuals involved in a network of illegal online casinos with an estimated turnover of 5 billion hryvnias. Among the suspects are Russian citizens. But what's most interesting about this case isn't the gambling business itself.
Scheme: From bet to "invoice"
According to the investigation, the organizers launched at least five websites — some of which previously had legal licenses that were later revoked. Instead of shutting down, the platforms simply relaunched under the same names. Players topped up their accounts with cryptocurrency — mostly USDT stablecoins.
Then comes the banking part. As the BEB established in parallel proceedings against Aibox Bank, they used the technique of "miscoding" to legalize funds: more than 20 controlled companies opened accounts at the bank, and players transferred money to them — but indicated payment for non-existent goods and services in the payment description.
"The suspects, together with the bank's shareholders, organized a money laundering scheme using miscoding."
— from the BEB report on the Aibox Bank case
Miscoding is transaction code substitution: payment for gambling services is recorded in the system as payment for goods or services. This allows bypassing automatic bank compliance filters and National Bank monitoring.
What has already happened in court
The case is not new — it has been developing since 2024. Two department directors of Aibox Bank have already been arrested. Bank co-owner Alona Shevtsova was announced as wanted — she is currently hiding abroad. In Poland, Irina Tsyganok, the director of one of the bank's departments, was detained. The BEB has already forwarded part of the materials to court.
Scale: 5 million daily
According to the investigation's calculations, the network generated approximately 5 million hryvnias in turnover daily. Per year — over one and a half billion. The 5 billion figure is likely the cumulative turnover over several years of operation, part of which has already been laundered.
- At least 5 websites — some under old, previously licensed names
- More than 20 shell companies with accounts at one bank
- Cryptocurrency entry — fiat exit through "goods" payments
- Among the suspects are RF citizens, some individuals are hiding abroad
Why this is more than criminal news
The legal gambling market in Ukraine began operating after the law was adopted in 2020 — and immediately faced competition from illegal operators who don't pay licensing fees and taxes. According to the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL), the share of illegal gambling on the Ukrainian internet remains significant: blocking websites can't keep up with their relaunches.
This case shows the logical next step: an illegal casino without a banking partner is just a website with a crypto wallet. It's precisely the connection to banking infrastructure that transforms it into a full-fledged financial crime with the ability to withdraw funds into the real economy.
If the court proves guilt under the article on money laundering — and not just on organizing gambling — this will become a precedent: bank compliance as complicity, not just a technical error.
