Russian Internal Ministry Detectives Charged With Running Underground Gambling Den

Two Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs detectives have been charged with helping to operate an underground gambling den in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the two police officials are named Aleksey Popenov and Denis Kovalev. The duo will be tried at the city’s Central District Court.

The officers serve in the Krasnoyarsk region’s Ministry of Internal Affairs’ economic security department.

The Krasnoyarsk Prosecutor’s office stated that the police officials have each been charged with abusing their power and bribery. Prosecutors also accuse them of various money laundering-related offenses.

Russian Gambling Den: Police Officers Charged

Prosecutors claim that in 2019, one of the duo started helping three Krasnoyarsk residents open an underground casino on the city’s Televizornaya Street, which is part of a busy commercial district.

The prosecution claims that the police officer facilitated the trio’s attempts to create the den before providing cover for the group to move 32 slot machines and two poker tables into the facility.

Prosecution officials say the casino operators paid the officer 45,000 rubles (around $550) for his assistance.

The same officer then reportedly continued to patronize the gambling den for several years. However, in July 2023, he was promoted and became the head of the economic security department.

“The promotion deprived him of the opportunity to directly patronize the gambling den,” the newspaper wrote.

At this point, the establishment’s principal “owner” allegedly asked the new department chief to help find a replacement from the police force.

The department head allegedly agreed to do this. He then reportedly asked a junior colleague to take his place at the gambling den. The den “owner” reportedly offered the junior officer a one-off payment of $3,500.

The junior officer is accused of expressing his thanks to his superior by giving the latter a gift of cryptoassets worth 105,000 rubles ($1,278).

The senior officer reportedly decided to hide the trail leading him to the money by asking the junior officer to send the bribe to “a crypto wallet registered in his friend’s name.”

Subsequently, the friend is purported to have sold the crypto for cash and transferred the funds to the department chief’s bank account.

Russia’s Legal Casino Sector Experiencing Growth

Earlier this month, Altai Palace, one of a handful of licensed casinos operating in Russia, posted revenue growth of over 17% for the Financial Year 2024.

The casino is the only licensed gambling venue operating in the Siberskaya Moneta (Siberian Coin) zone in Siberia’s Altai Krai.

In 2009, Moscow granted Altai Krai and three other parts of the country permission to operate gambling zones. These include Kaliningrad’s Yantarnaya, Primorye, and Krasnaya Polyana.

All four gambling zones’ casinos posted growth for the Financial Year 2024. Many, including the Altai Palace, have announced plans to expand their business operations in the near future.

However, Moscow has been battling against a sharp rise in illegal Russian-language online casinos.

The Central Bank and others have expressed concerns that many of these casinos attempt to target younger citizens, including tech-savvy teenagers.

Also, this month, a leading Russian policymaker suggested new measures aimed at stopping younger citizens from visiting illegal online casinos.

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 Two Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs detectives have been charged with helping to operate an underground gambling den in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the two police officials are named Aleksey Popenov and Denis Kovalev. The duo will be tried at the city’s Central District Court. The officers serve
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