Gambling was legalised in Ukraine after a 10-year ban shortly before the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has been a profitable avenue for Russians who want to make money in the country and collect the personal data of Ukrainian gamblers.
Ukraine's gambling regulator started revoking licences last September, and this spring Volodymyr Zelenskiy sanctioned more than 400 individuals and legal entities related to Russian gambling businesses, including five Ukrainian firms. Banks and other financial institutions suspected to have been aiding the laundering of gambling profits on behalf of Russian oligarchs have also been a focus.
But the exploitation of the sector remains a threat to which the authorities say they are determined to respond, despite concerns that even the supervising bodies have fallen foul of Russian influence.
This story is from the November 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the November 03, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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