Russia Accused of Siphoning Money from Occupied Ukrainian Territories via Online Gambling

Russia is increasingly using gambling as a source of revenue in the occupied Ukrainian territories, according to new claims by the National Resistance Center (NRC). The authority claims that online casinos are part of a broader system to drain the occupied territories of money and funnel it back to Moscow. The rest of Ukraine also faces similar pressures, as illegal operators are a persistent threat.

Online Gambling Can Be Used to Obscure Cash Flows

According to Ukrainian analysts, Russia is publicly framing the gambling initiative as a form of “economic regulation”. However, they believe the underlying motives are far darker. In occupied territories, where the legitimate economy has been hollowed out by war, displacement, and sanctions, online gambling offers a fast and subtle way to drain cash from local populations.

According to the NRC, the operation enjoys significant political support and is overseen by Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov. Financial flows from the occupied territories are reportedly managed by structures linked to Russia’s finance ministry, working in coordination with the Kremlin. Sergey Kiriyenko, the person who oversees the occupied territories, is reportedly also involved in the scheme.

Online casinos in the occupied territories are either newly created or rebranded Russian platforms that operate through domestic payment systems. Russian authorities can thus easily track their operations while keeping them outside international financial scrutiny. According to the NRC, roughly 30% of revenues are siphoned off, with some going to the occupation administrations’ shadow budgets, and the rest transferred directly to Russia.

Illegal Russian Operators Represent a Broader Threat

Analysts explain that such activities aim to generate “grey revenue” that helps soften the impact of Western sanctions. They argue that gambling perfectly fits this niche: it is easy to launch online, difficult to regulate across borders, and capable of generating steady cash even in economically devastated areas, especially if operators ignore responsible practices.

Even outside occupied areas, Ukrainian authorities say Russian-controlled online casinos deliberately target Ukrainian households that already face financial difficulties because of the ongoing conflict. The government created a new regulatory authority, PlayCity, which aims to oversee all gambling activities and implement more robust controls on social media content.

In September 2025, PlayCity revealed that social media platforms act as a major vector for illegal gambling promotion. The regulatory body confirmed that it had stopped multiple Instagram accounts that shared illegal gambling content and attracted people to unlicensed websites. Ukrainian officials believe that most of these websites trace back to Russian control, which means that Ukrainian gamblers’ bets may finance the war against them.