The detainee stayed for a long time in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, where he communicated with Russian citizens – beneficial owners of online casinos. The real owners of pin-up casino india this commercial entity, which was licensed to organize online gambling, are Russians. As UNN learned from its own sources, this is the nominal owner of the PIN-UP online casino, Ihor Zotko. You should understand that there are no free services in the financial market – any transfer of an individual without a fee is covered by the bank or payment system or company they serve. You are also the owner of the financial company Yediniy Prostir, tell us how your businesses cooperate
Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions against the owner of the Russian casino Pin-Up
- Ukraine has successfully overcome the first step on the way to a healthy, competitive and, most importantly, transparent market.
- No licensed product can compete when almost half of the market is in the shadows and pays players large bonuses, tax-free winnings, and other perks.
- In the global context, the Ukrainian market demonstrates courage, activity, and prospects.
- The information and analytical portal Fakt is an independent online resource focused on informing and objectively analyzing events taking place in Ukraine and abroad.
- Secondly, we need to reduce taxation levers that are currently insane and hinder market development – offline segment has the most difficult situation.
Could you tell us how the law that legalized the Ukrainian gambling market affected the industry? Subsequently, the SBI detained the director of the PIN-UP company. The owner of Ukr Game Technology is Igor Zotko, who was detained by the State Bureau of Investigation at the beginning of the year.
- Similarly to his accomplices, among whom key figures include Dmitriy Punin’s wife, Ukrainian citizen Maryna Ilyina, and her father Vladimir Ilyin, who was registered as the owner of the Pin-Up brand.
- No other country, and the gambling market exists in almost all civilized countries, has taken such a bold step.
- The investigation found that the detained nominal owner did not have legal sources to contribute 30 million hryvnias to the authorized capital of a company with a license to organize gambling.
- There is documentary evidence of this casino’s connections with Russian capital, sanctioned entities in Ukraine, and representatives of the Russian Federation.
- The regulator should highlight market issues, directly communicate state requirements, and reach consensus.
Compliance Timeline (At a Glance)
Underage gambling is prohibited. Ensure compliance with your local laws before participating. Players must be 18+ or of legal gambling age in their country. © 2025 Pin Up Casino – officialpinupcasino.com. Players under the legal age are prohibited from creating accounts or participating in gambling activities. We respond within 48 hours and aim to resolve all cases within 30 business days.
In addition, the court has granted the SBI and the Office of the General Prosecutor’s request to transfer over 2.6 billion UAH, which were seized from the accounts of the online casino connected to representatives of the aggressor state, to the management of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). Additionally, the individual directly controlling the online casino’s operations has been financing veterans of the so-called “special military operation” since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The investigation also revealed that individuals connected to the casino’s activities are conducting business operations in the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LNR), thus contributing to the enemy’s budget. PIN-UP Ukraine officially declared its complete non-involvement in any illegal financial transactions and categorically rejected the accusations brought by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine against the company’s owner, Igor Zotko. Established firmly in the online betting market since 2016, Pin-Up confirms its commitment to transparency and safe gambling. This document allows online gambling and betting services, as well as INR transactions.
Support
There are significant reasons for this, chief among them being Dmitriy Punin’s business partner, Cypriot businessman Stavros Demosthenous, who has a rather specific background. Similarly to his accomplices, among whom key figures include Dmitriy Punin’s wife, Ukrainian citizen Maryna Ilyina, and her father Vladimir Ilyin, who was registered as the owner of the Pin-Up brand. We financially help the Foundation to implement the LINE-UP humanitarian project, which provides emergency assistance to Ukrainians in frontline settlements.
On PIN-UPʼs work during the war and the companyʼs charity initiatives
He is accused of aiding the aggressor country, including granting a license for the operation of the Pin-Up casino. Some of our employees have been taken to the frontline – the company continues to pay their salaries and provide financial and moral support. And to be able to do all this, there are regular commercial projects, where the company earns on fees and invests into its development and improvement of services for the state.
It was established thatthe real owners were Russians who collected data on users and financed the LNR. Despite being wanted in Ukraine, Turkey has also joined the list of countries seeking Dmitriy Punin, where his search is also related to the illegal activities of the Pin-UP casino. Everything else — elite restaurants, wine boutiques, entertainment venues, and the football club — are covers for this activity and a way to distract attention from suspicious financial flows.
Key Legal & Terms Snapshot
SBI officers conducted a comprehensive set of procedural measures, including technical procedures with the involvement of relevant experts, who confirmed the negative impact on the combat readiness of Ukraine’s Armed Forces due to the use of services by this online casino. On December 18, Ivan Rudoy, the head of the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRGL), was detained in Ukraine for supporting the activities of the Russian online casino “Pin-Up” in Ukraine. On December 5, 2024, it became known that the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) suspects the beneficial owners and top managers of the “Pin-Up” online casino of aiding Russia.
It will be recalled that earlier the court granted the request of the SBI and the Prosecutor General’s Office to transfer to ARMA more than 2.6 billion hryvnias seized from online casino accounts. The investigation established that the detainee could not legally contribute UAH 30 million to the authorized capital of the company that received the license. At the request of the prosecutors, more than UAH 2.6 billion, which are on the accounts of the companies involved in organizing the activities of this online casino, were seized and transferred to the ARMA. According to the investigation, the suspect contributed UAH 30 million to the authorized capital of a legal entity engaged in organizing online gambling, the origin of which has not been legally confirmed.
The appendix to the decree states that personal sanctions were applied against three Russian citizens — the owner of Pin-Up Dmitry Punin, Ivan Bannikov and Alexander Matyashov. Ensure compliance with your local/state laws before playing. We actively prevent and detect attempts by minors to use our services.
Punin derives his main income from laundering and legalizing funds obtained from Pin-UP’s online casino operations. Iʼm already used to information attacks on my businesses, where Yedynyi Prostir is profiting from charity or Iʼm allegedly the owner of a Russian PIN-UP casino. I delved into the topic of gambling business that requires payment processing, different types of casinos, lotteries, and also came to realize the philosophy of players, their motivation and goal in the game. The law of July 14, 2020, which defined the functioning conditions for the gambling market in Ukraine, solved the main problem – gambling has come out of the shadows and become more open to public.
In 2022, Dmitriy Punin acquired the Cypriot football club “Karmiotissa.” However, by late 2023, after a series of scandals linked to suspected match-fixing, he sold the club to business partner Stavros Demosthenous. He earned tens of millions of euros for his “services” in these schemes. When a wave of illegal takeovers of Russian businessmen’s properties began on the island, he found himself at the center of events. During Anastasiades’s presidency, Stavros became the person who resolved issues affecting the fate of businesses, politics, and justice on the island. To Demosthenous’s credit, he saw another opportunity in his business — to establish connections and contacts with the wealthiest foreigners arriving in Cyprus. Cypriot law enforcement and Limassol customs, naturally, “saw nothing and heard nothing.” Everyone was pleased.
Legal Notice & Age Restriction
They form requests for the units they serve in, and the company fully or partially closes them. If we talk about business, then, of course, sales have dropped tremendously. How did your company PIN-UP Ukraine work at the beginning of the great war? For Yedynyi Prostir, cooperation with Diia has never been about profit; it is an image project where the company invests rather than earns. To be clear, these funds are not enough to cover the companyʼs operating expenses. There were also questions about the commission, stating that the company earns millions on fees from charitable projects
Latvia will transfer 21 Patria armored personnel carriers to Ukraine
Providing its services in India, Pin-Up operates on the principles of legality. The license held by Pin-Up India confirms the site’s commitment to providing a safe, fair and transparent gaming environment. The information and analytical portal Fakt is an independent online resource focused on informing and objectively analyzing events taking place in Ukraine and abroad. There is documentary evidence of this casino’s connections with Russian capital, sanctioned entities in Ukraine, and representatives of the Russian Federation. By information RBC-Ukraine, we are talking about the owner of “PIN-UP Ukraine” Igor Zotko.
On December 5, it became known that the State Bureau of Investigation suspects the beneficial owners and top managers of the Pin-Up online casino of aiding Russia. Before that, he was in Cyprus and met with the real owners of the online casino — Russians. In January of this year, the SBI arrested the nominal owner of the “PIN-UP” online casino. The online casino itself continues its operations on Russian territory and Russian web resources, as confirmed by the Bureau during the pre-trial investigation.
Anastasiades became president partly thanks to Demosthenous’s support, whose gangsters quickly dealt with political and business competitors of their friend and protégé when needed. The cream of Limassol, including lawyer Theophanis (Phanos) Philippou, partner of the law firm Nicos Chr. Demosthenous, already known as a person controlling nightclubs, illegal casinos, brothels, and car dealerships, won this war of the nineties.
And the online casino still operates on Russian territory and on Russian web resources. The person directly controlling the online casinoʼs activities, after the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sponsored Russian veterans who fought against Ukraine. Law enforcement officers have documented the connections of this online casino with representatives of the Russian Federation and Russian capital, as well as with entities subject to sanctions in Ukraine. According to the investigation, the real owners of this casino are Russians.
Law enforcement officers have detained the nominal owner of the online casino PIN-UP, which is suspected of laundering Russian money. The investigation has confirmed the documented links of the online casino to representatives of the Russian Federation, individuals sanctioned in Ukraine, and established financial flows benefiting the aggressor state’s budget and supporting activities related to armed aggression against Ukraine. The investigation has revealed that the real owners of this commercial entity, which was licensed to conduct online gambling operations, are citizens of the Russian Federation.
First, it is necessary to put an end to legislative changes and ensure equal rules for all market players. What problems does the market face now and what is needed to make it work? Getting the industry out of the shadows was a big step forward for the market, but it did not solve all the related problems.