Russian courts have sentenced two former senior executives of major bookmakers in separate criminal cases. Former CEO of Fonbet, Sergey Anokhin, was given eight years and two months in prison and fined RUB 12m, while former CEO of Melbet, Igor Lyapustin, received an eight-year sentence.
Anokhin was detained in January 2025, with Fonbet stating that he had stepped down as CEO that month. Investigators say Anokhin attempted to prevent materials gathered by the Federal Security Service, relating to the alleged embezzlement of funds at Fonbet, from being passed to investigators.
To achieve this, he arranged for a bribe of RUB 60m to be paid through intermediaries. Once the funds had been transferred, all those involved, including members of the company’s management, were detained.
Meanwhile, a Moscow court found Lyapustin guilty of misappropriating close to RUB 700m. He was taken into custody immediately after the verdict, according to his lawyer, Alexey Tsaplin.
Investigators allege that Lyapustin misappropriated RUB 699m from Alexander Gradulenko, the former owner of the Melbet brand.
Gradulenko, who had previously been convicted of organising illegal gambling operations, sold the business to an Irish company in 2016 due to regulatory restrictions that prevented him from continuing in the sector. Lyapustin later acquired the bookmaker for RUB 90m.
The dispute centres on claims that Lyapustin unlawfully took control of the company, prompting Gradulenko to file a complaint with the police. An expert examination of the case was conducted, which estimated the damage of RUB 699m.
In a further twist, Lyapustin reportedly attempted twice to leave Russia to join military service related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but both requests were rejected by the court.
In earlier news from Russia, a bill aimed at preventing bookmakers from accepting bets from debtors, including those with alimony obligations and legally incapacitated individuals, may be delayed until at least autumn.
Recently, the Russian Ministry of Finance issued a Draft Order requiring operators to display prominent gambling-risk warnings on websites and in advertising
