Ukrainian sanctions in name only: Parimatch, Parik24 and 1win erase traces of illegal gambling operations

Against the backdrop of publications about the actual impunity of sanctioned online casinos Parimatch, Parik24, and 1win in the Ukrainian segment of the Internet, a systematic cleanup of the information field has begun. Materials describing the mechanisms for circumventing sanctions, the offshore infrastructure of these platforms, and the inaction of state bodies are gradually disappearing from public access or being pushed out of the information agenda.

We are publishing this material because we consider it important to preserve facts about the operation of illegal online gambling in Ukraine, despite official bans and sanctions.

While the state reports on a «harsh fight» against illegal online gambling, the reality looks quite the opposite. Sanctioned networks like Parimatch, its clone Parik24, and the international brand 1win continue to operate freely in Ukraine, despite sanctions from the National Security and Defence Council, the President’s decree, and official bans. What should have been completely blocked has effectively gained immunity thanks to offshore infrastructure and the demonstrative inaction of the Ministry of Digital Transformation.

The scheme to bypass blockades is absurdly primitive: dozens of mirror domains, offshore platforms, the use of Google OAuth, Cloudflare, public DNS servers, and VPNs. Blocking occurs only at the DNS level, which can be bypassed in a minute—simply by changing the DNS or enabling a VPN. In reality, it’s not the casinos that are blocked, but only their main domains, which are instantly replaced. The state agency «PlayCity,» which is formally responsible for controlling the online gambling sector, exists merely as a decoration.

Parik24 is a technical clone of Parimatch: identical design, structure, functionality, offshore domains, and advertising through sports content and public figures. This isn’t even disguised—it’s a direct duplication of a sanctioned platform, while state bodies pretend nothing is happening.

1win operates under the same scheme: endless mirrors, public instructions on bypassing blockades, and a sprawling offshore infrastructure that ensures stable access for Ukrainian users. All of this in a country where such services have no licenses and their activities are officially prohibited.

Despite submitted complaints to regulatory bodies, there has been no response—until the Solomyanskyi District Court of Kyiv, in its ruling dated 22.10.2025 in case №760/27639/25, ordered the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv region to enter information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations and initiate a pre-trial investigation. The court did what law enforcement and digital structures should have done a year ago.

Shutting down sanctioned online casinos is not a technical task. It is a matter of political will, the absence of shadowy agreements, and real state control over the digital sphere. If Parimatch, Parik24, and 1win are not blocked immediately, the «fight against illegal gambling» will remain an empty declaration—just like the sanctions, which in Ukraine have long ceased to mean anything.