Several days ago, large-scale searches were conducted at Mostbet offices, as well as at the residences of suspects, seizing computers, documents, and other equipment. Those detained included the head of the financial department, employees, and one of the owners, Sergey Lagutenko. A criminal case has been opened under Part 3 of Article 171.2 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal organization of gambling).
It is noteworthy that Sergey Lagutenko has a brother, Denis Lagutenko, who also attracts players to illegal gambling sites and resides in the United States. According to a Cheka-OGPU source, the brothers fell out several years ago, and Sergey forcibly took Denis's share of the Mostbet business and threatened him with administrative action in Russia. As a result, Denis Lagutenko was forced to immigrate to the United States, and entering Russia risks arrest. A source at the Cheka-OGPU also reports that Sergey Lagutenko's key partner is Yegor Bruskin (an Israeli citizen). A player with the same nickname, Yegor Bruskin, is playing chess on chess(.)org right now, while relatives of Lagutenko's employees are frantically seeking lawyers for their imprisoned contractors. In addition to Mostbet, Lagutenko and Bruskin also own the MAC conference casino brand and the Leadbit affiliate network.
After the start of the SVO, Mostbet holding announced it was ceasing operations in the Russian market. Bruskin himself posted words of support for Ukraine on social media. However, in reality, the online casino continued operating in Russia, albeit unofficially, outside the legal framework. Lagutenko and Bruskin's business is legally overseen by a network of Cypriot offshore companies headed by Venson LTD, whose founders include the same law firm that manages the offshore companies Fontana Management Limited and Ulisse Management Limited, which, according to Ukrainian media, belong to the country's former Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov.
