The publication Izvestia has reported a significant rise in fraud linked to fake online casinos in Russia. The article is based on insights from eight experts from various organizations, including Internet-Search, BI.ZONE, F6, ESA PRO, Informzashchita, the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, ROCIT, and the State Duma Committee on Information Policy.
According to Igor Bederov, head of Internet-Search, the losses from fake online casinos for January-February 2026 have exceeded the figures for the same period last year by approximately 19%.
Since the beginning of the year, around 17,700 new domains mentioning casinos have been registered in the RuNet, averaging 350 registrations per day. Out of these, 2,300 have active status, while the rest are likely reserved for potential blocking.
In January alone, about 30,000 potentially fraudulent websites were created, as reported by BI.ZONE.
Two fraudulent groups, in the second half of January, stole over 2.5 million rubles (approximately $31,600) from citizens, with an average withdrawal of 14,426 rubles ($183). One of these groups increased its theft volume by 66% year-on-year, while the average withdrawal amount rose by 30%, according to analysts from F6.
The number of incidents in several regions has increased by one and a half to two times, particularly among young people and residents with lower incomes, as noted by Pavel Kovalenko, the director of anti-fraud measures at Informzashchita.
The main methods used to attract players include fake bonuses, promo codes, and free initial deposits, after which fund withdrawals are blocked under the pretext of verification, taxes, or fictitious regulatory checks. Fraudsters encourage victims to deposit increasingly larger amounts, including through credit funds.
There is also a scheme involving dating sites, where fraudsters, using AI-generated photos, initiate conversations and direct victims to a casino Telegram bot.
Fake online casinos are also used to collect bank card data and digital fingerprints of users for subsequent phishing attacks. Ready-made templates for their creation are available on the dark web, and the use of cryptocurrencies complicates the tracking of financial flows.
The theft data from F6 (2.5 million rubles) only covers two identified fraudulent groups and does not reflect the true scale of the damage.