Court imprisons gambling watchdog chief suspected of support for Russian online casino

Ivan Rudyi during a court session in the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv. Photo: Suspilne /Nikita Halka

On 19 December, the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv imposed a preventive measure on Ivan Rudyi, Head of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, in the form of detention without the right for bail.

Source: Suspilne, the Ukrainian public broadcaster

Details: The court ruled that he will be held in a pre-trial detention centre until 4 February 2025.

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For reference: On 18 December, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General detained Ivan Rudyi for supporting the operation of a Russian-owned online casino in Ukraine.

During the search, a large amount of a drug-like substance was found in the official’s possession.

Background: 

• The Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries has recently come under media scrutiny in connection with operating an online casino linked to the Russian Federation.
• In early December, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law under which the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries is to be disbanded by 1 April 2025.
• The Cabinet of Ministers (Ukrainian government) appointed Ivan Rudyi as the Head of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries on 28 October 2020.  

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