Gambling Winnings of Ukrainian Officials Under Scrutiny
Officials' Disclosed Income Amounts Unveiled to Journalists
In an investigation by Nazk. Info, it has been unveiled that winnings from several gambling companies are commonly declared by certain Ukrainian officials. These include LLC "Speiks" (Cosmolot), LLC "Sloteks Yu.E." (Slotoking), LLC "VBet Ukraine", LLC "GameDev" (Slots City), and the gambling company "Parimatch" which was under sanctions by the NSDC in March 2023.
Remarkably, these winnings are not only declared by the officials themselves but also by family members. For instance, the head of the security service of critical infrastructure of the NSDC apparatus, Irina Timoshenko, indicated her daughter's winnings of slightly over 2,000 UAH. On the other hand, judge Roman Svytlychnyi from the Rivne region declared three of his son's winnings totaling over 70,000 UAH. Svytlychnyi shared with journalists that his son no longer plays due to a vicious cycle of losing, taking loans, and accumulating debts that they eventually settled with their own salaries, amounting to 60,000 UAH.
Some officials, such as the head of the personnel management department of the Izium Regional State Administration, Vitaliy Nikonenko, view gambling not just as entertainment but also as a means to earn money. Nikonenko declared winnings of 335,000 UAH from M.S.L. and almost 118,000 UAH from Favbet. When asked about his gambling winnings and the reason for seeking additional income, Nikonenko noted that their salary is not sufficient for their family and that public service is a calling.
The widespread gambling habits and reported winnings among Ukrainian officials have raised concerns regarding financial transparency and potential conflicts of interest. However, further investigations and official reports are needed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
Insights:
- Gambling-related financial flows can be susceptible to large-scale money laundering, as evidenced by the discovery of a scheme transferring over 260 million hryvnias through the online casino Pin-Up, linked to Russian interests between 2022 and 2024.
- Corporate profit tax from gambling operations contributed UAH 2.2 billion to Ukraineβs budget in March 2025, but there is no explicit mention of individual official disclosures in available data.
- The Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) faces ongoing challenges in tracing and managing seized assets linked to organized crime, including gambling-related activities.
- While Nazk. Info's investigation does not detail specific anti-corruption efforts by NAZK, Ukraine has strengthened anti-IFF (illicit financial flow) frameworks, including stricter asset declarations for public officials.
- The Taiwanwanchik-Trincher Organization case demonstrated cross-border laundering of gambling proceeds from Ukraine and Russia, underscoring the need for international collaboration in addressing gambling-related financial crimes.
- The NSDC sanctions on gambling company "Parimatch" in March 2023 did not prevent some Ukrainian officials from declaring their winnings from the company.
- Irina Timoshenko, head of the security service of critical infrastructure of the NSDC apparatus, reported her daughter's winnings from gambling, adding another family member to the list of declared winners.
- Some Ukrainian officials, like Vitaliy Nikonenko, head of the personnel management department of the Izium Regional State Administration, view gambling not only as entertainment but also as a way to earn additional money to supplement their incomes.
- Reports of gambling-related winnings among Ukrainian officials have sparked concerns about financial transparency and potential conflicts of interest, emphasizing the need for further investigations and official reports.
- In light of concerns about money laundering and financial transparency, the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) faces challenges in tracing and managing seized assets linked to organized crime, including gambling-related activities.
