Sanctioned online casino PIN-UP earned almost UAH 2 billion in 2024
The company «UKR GAME TECHNOLOGY», operating under the PIN-UP brand, became the leader in terms of revenue among companies in 2024 against which NSDC sanctions were applied.
The company «UKR GAME TECHNOLOGY», operating under the PIN-UP brand, became the leader in terms of revenue among companies in 2024 against which NSDC sanctions were applied.
According to the Opendatabot service, UKR GAME TECHNOLOGY is the leader in terms of revenue among 197 companies on the Register of Sanctioned Companies of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. It is reported that PIN-UP’s revenue in 2024 reached 1.9 billion.
4.1% of the NSDC sanctions list is made up of information services and media production companies, and 3,6% are gambling operators. 123 companies (62%) were added to the sanctions list in 2024.
In December 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported suspicions to the beneficial owners of an illegal online casino, as well as two Ukrainians — the director and the owner of the trademark and domain. They were accused of collecting information, in particular, information about the whereabouts of the military Defense Forces. According to Ukrainska Pravda’s sources in law enforcement agencies, this was about the PIN-UP casino.
In January 2025, SBI officers detained the nominal owner of PIN-UP, Igor Zotko. It was alleged that he had been in Cyprus for a long time, where he was in contact with the real Russian owners of PIN-UP.
Later, the SBI detained the director of the PIN-UP company. He was informed of suspicion of aiding the aggressor state. The SBI noted that PIN-UP’s ties with representatives of the Russian Federation and entities subject to sanctions in Ukraine were documented.
In May 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed Decree No. 344/2025, which put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated May 25, 2025 «On the application of personal special economic and other restrictive measures» against the owner of PIN-UP Dmytro Punin. PIN-UP Global CEO Marina Ilyina stated that this is «a tool of pressure on business.»
In June 2025, the PlayCity agency, which regulates the gambling industry, revoked the license of the PIN-UP online casino, whose activities are linked to the Russian Federation.
In July of this year, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv applied a special confiscation, collecting a record UAH 2.6 billion from the state’s revenue from a company that operated in Ukraine under the PIN-UP online casino brand.
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The largest special confiscation of money in the history of Ukraine: the court recovered UAH 2.6 billion from the PIN-UP online casino as state revenue
The largest special confiscation of money in the history of Ukraine: the court recovered UAH 2.6 billion from the PIN-UP online casino as state revenue
The first one is gone. The new gambling regulator PlayCity stripped PIN-UP of its license due to ties with the Russian Federation
The first one is gone. The new gambling regulator PlayCity stripped PIN-UP of its license due to ties with the Russian Federation
PIN-UP stated that they will not allow their reputation to be discredited after the introduction of Ukrainian sanctions
PIN-UP stated that they will not allow their reputation to be discredited after the introduction of Ukrainian sanctions
