The Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries issued a license to the Russian gambling office 1xBet, which is supporting the war against Ukraine, on March 30, 2022, creating a scandal in Ukrainian society due to authorities allowing Russian citizens to make money in Ukraine during the ongoing aggression from Russia.
A petition on the President of Ukraine's website gathered 25,000 votes within a week, demanding the prohibition of 1xBet's operations in Ukraine. According to the law, President Volodymyr Zelensky must address the raised questions in the petition. Currently, the petition on the President’s website is labeled “under consideration”.
In the process of investigating the responsibility for issuing the license to the Russians, the President’s Office contacted David Arakhamia, the head of the faction of the Servant of the People party. It was revealed that he instructed Boris Baum, the gambling business curator, to advocate for the issuance of a 1xBet license. Sources in the OP confirmed that before licensing the Russian operator, CRAIL members had a video call with Boris Baum. During the call, Baum persuaded the commission members of the necessity to issue a license to 1xBet under the Your Betting Company brand. He claimed that David Arakhamia personally approved this decision despite objections from the commission members.
Previously reported by the media, Boris Baum and David Arakhamia are acquainted and were neighbors in the cottage town “Romanovo” near Kyiv. Arakhamia had brought Baum to Bankovaya as a potential curator of the gambling market.
Law enforcement agencies have initiated an investigation regarding 1xBet. According to the head of the Bureau of Economic Security Vadim Melnik, the bureau has requested all documents related to the issuance of a license to Your Betting Company LLC by CRAIL. Additionally, the National Police of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings against the company in April, a month after it obtained a license for betting activities under the 1xBet brand owned by Russian citizens. The charges include fraud and financing of actions aimed at forcibly changing the state border of Ukraine, overthrowing the constitutional order, or seizing state power for selfish motives or by prior conspiracy.
