A large online casino with Russian roots, Cosmolot, was caught evading 1.2 billion hryvnia in taxes

UAH 700 million was seized from the accounts of one of the largest gambling companies in Ukraine. This company is suspected of tax evasion of UAH 1.2 billion through the organization of unlicensed gambling.

The arrest of the accounts was reported to the Bureau of Economic Security (BES). It is noted that the company is one of the largest licensees of online gambling, but its name is not indicated. However, according to sources, the BEB message refers specifically to Cosmolot.

“UAH 700 million placed on the company’s accounts has been seized. The pre-trial investigation continues. Procedural management is carried out by prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General,” the BEB noted.

To evade taxes, the company created clone sites of its own licensed portal, investigators believe. No taxes were paid on the money that clients brought to such clone sites.

“Using more than 30 mirror sites that have interfaces similar to the licensed site, as well as miscoding of payments, they set up a tax evasion scheme on a particularly large scale,” the BEB reported. It is clarified that the scheme was organized by “a group of individuals from among the company’s employees.”

Law enforcement also established that the company was not physically located at the address specified in its gambling license issued by the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (CRAIL). In addition, the investigation claims that officials deliberately concealed evidence - documents and other information important for the investigation.