Former «overseer» of the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice Andriy Dovbenko, currently wanted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on suspicion of embezzling half a billion hryvnias, may be the real beneficial owner of the online casinos Slot City and BETON. The gambling market in Ukraine has landed in the center of a high-profile scandal as gambling regulators initiate audits and license revocations against affiliated entities.
The official holders of these gambling brands appear to be nominees whose financial status does not match the scale of the business. The Slot City brand belongs to All City Games LLC, 100% owned by Odesa businessman Pavlo Chyklikchi. He previously acquired Gamedev LLC (SlotsCity trademark), which reported an annual revenue of 9.3 billion UAH. However, official tax declarations of the Chyklikchi family show no legitimate source of income sufficient for multi-million-hryvnia investments.
A similar pattern surrounds the BETON brand, registered under Citycode LLC and managed by Kyiv resident Roman Balashov. His personal financial capabilities likewise raise questions among industry analysts, pointing to the representation of third-party interests.
«Replacing real beneficial owners with nominee figures is a common practice used to disguise capitals of dubious origin in the gambling sector,» industry sources note.
According to law enforcement agencies, Andriy Dovbenko orchestrated a large-scale corruption scheme within the National Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) and the SETAM state enterprise. Through rigged sales of seized assets at artificially reduced prices, state losses exceeded 485 million UAH.
Assets sold for fractions of their market value included:
Commercial land plots in Odesa Oblast — sold at 18 times below market value.
Thousands of tons of river sand, carbamide, and agricultural products — undervalued by 4 to 5 times.
According to investigators, funds channeled through legal entities such as Evris and N&D may have been directed toward acquiring and financing Slot City and BETON online casinos.
Following public reports linking Dovbenko to the gambling business, the PlayCity regulatory authority took enforcement actions against All City Games LLC. The company received a 4.3 million UAH fine, and its June 5, 2026 license decision was subsequently canceled due to failure to complete annual fee payments.
The escalating pressure on Dovbenko’s business structures follows the loss of political influence and intensified efforts by NABU to apprehend the suspect, who currently resides abroad to evade prosecution.