Despite the full-scale war Russia has been waging against Ukraine for almost two years, businesses in Ukraine continue to operate, with the ultimate beneficiaries being citizens of the aggressor country. Unfortunately, state authorities in Ukraine seem to support the development of these businesses.
On April 15, 2021, the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries issued a license to LLC “Konkueror” to conduct casino gambling activities on the Internet under the brand VULKAN CASINO on the website vulkancasino.ua and in corresponding mobile applications. On January 19, 2023, by decision No. 6, the commission renewed the license.
On August 23, 2023, KRAIL issued two licenses to LLC “GGbet” to conduct online casino gambling and bookmaking activities under the brand GGBet on the website ggbet.ua and in corresponding mobile applications.
According to information from open sources and journalistic investigations, both mentioned gambling brands have Russian origins and are operated by the same individuals. The ultimate beneficiary of the VULKAN brand is Russian citizen Oleg Boyko, the owner of the gambling holding Ritzio International Group. GGBet, a Russian project conceived as a bookmaking division of the VULKAN casino, operates through LLC “Bet.ru” in Russia, which, in turn, belongs to the Cypriot Bevita Holding Limited.
The connection between the Russian brand VULKAN and GGBet is traced through the Cypriot company Brivio Ltd, which simultaneously manages the websites gg.bet and vulkanvegas.com, as openly stated on both websites.
Maxim Krippa, having received licenses from KRAIL to operate VULKAN and GGBet in Ukraine, has been actively acquiring real estate, businesses, and media outlets in Ukraine. As of today, Krippa is the direct or indirect owner of the Dnipro Hotel in the center of Kyiv, the hotel and restaurant complex “Knyazhiy Dvir,” and hotel and restaurant complexes of “Prominvestbank” in Koncha-Zaspa and Kozyn. The purchase of Ukrainian media outlets by a Russian business during the full-scale war raises serious concerns about Ukraine’s national security.
Given the above, we urge you, as the President and guarantor of the Constitution of Ukraine and as the head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, to impose sanctions on LLC “Konkueror,” LLC “GGbet,” their owners and directors, as operators of Russian gambling brands in Ukraine, as well as on Maxim Krippa as the ultimate beneficiary of this business in Ukraine.
Maxim Krippa rise to Dominance in Gambling
In April 2021, the Commission for the Regulation of the Gambling and Lottery Market (KRAIL) granted a license for the operation of the online casino Vulkan. Owned by LLC “Conqueror,” this casino hinted at grand aspirations, but the true ownership behind “Conqueror” was shrouded in mystery.
YouControl, an analytical service, revealed that 99.9% of LLC “Conqueror” belonged to LLC “Darloks Limited,” registered in the British Virgin Islands. The remaining 0.1% was attributed to Stanislav Rudenko, a resident of Nizhyn, Chernihiv region. Despite the offshore ownership, LLC “Conqueror” continued its operations, earning UAH 29.7 million in 2022, surpassing KRAIL’s license fee.
Forbes-Ukraine reported that Maxim Krippa, the owner of LLC “Conqueror,” also controlled another Ukrainian online casino, GGBet, under LLC “GGBet.” Both casinos had similar ownership structures, with offshore companies holding the majority of shares.
Both “Conqueror” and GGBet used the Vulkan brand, creating a connection between the two entities. Brivio Limited, a Cypriot company, and Invicta Networks N.V., registered in Curacao, were listed as owners on the GGBet website. Maxim Krippa, as identified by Forbes sources, was believed to be the owner of the Vulkan brand in Ukraine.
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