Betting on Bryansk: Russian court hands down first verdict in criminal case against ‘1xBet’ founders. Investigators say the gambling company illegally raked in 63 billion rubles.

In Russia's southwestern city of Bryansk, on Wednesday, October 20, a court handed down the first verdict in the case against the creators of the online gambling company 1xBet. The court sentenced a local woman to three years in prison and an 800,000-ruble ($11,200) fine for "unlawfully organizing gambling," according to a press release from regional investigators. However, the accused was granted a respite, because she has a child under the age of 14. Local reporters from Bryansk.news identified the defendant as Olesya Mospanova, the manager of Bookmaker Pub -- a network of bookies in Bryansk. According to investigators, Mospanova allegedly accepted cash from clients and allowed them to place sports bets through the website 1xBet, whose activities are outlawed in Russia. Investigators estimate that the scheme pulled in 63 billion rubles (nearly $886 million) in illegal income -- a sum that's greater than the Bryansk region's annual budget. Original Article: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2021/10/21/betting-on-bryansk