Polish TV channel TVP Info reported the discovery of a Pin-Up office in Warsaw as part of an investigation into the activities of the online poker platform GGPoker. Journalists also reported on the participation of Pin-Up representatives in a partner conference in the Polish capital and mentioned the Russian Ivan Bryksin, whose name appears in Ukrainian criminal proceedings related to the activities of GGPoker/PokerOK.
WHAT JOURNALISTS DISCOVERED
According to the Telegram channel "Payment Shield in the CIS", the investigation focuses on the operation of the online platform GGPoker, methods of bypassing blocks in Poland and mechanisms for attracting local users. Journalists also examined the partner networks through which users are redirected to gaming resources, and the owners of such sites receive a commission for an attracted client.
A separate episode is dedicated to Pin-Up. Journalists reported the presence of representatives of the structure at a partner conference in Warsaw, and also showed an office discovered in the city, business contacts and documents bearing the company's logo.
At the same time, Pin-Up representatives, in response to journalists' questions, stated that they are not connected to the Ukrainian company with the same name.
HOW IVAN BRYKSIN FEATURES IN THE INVESTIGATION
The material mentions the Russian Ivan Bryksin, whom Ukrainian law enforcement agencies accuse of organising gambling without the appropriate licences and money laundering. His name, as noted in the publication, appears in Ukrainian criminal proceedings.
In particular, this concerns the proceedings of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine (BEB) regarding the activities of GGPoker/PokerOK, registered in December 2025. A criminal case is also mentioned, in the ruling of 2 September 2022 in which Bryksin's name appears.
At the same time, the investigation materials do not claim that the presence of a name in criminal proceedings in itself confirms Bryksin's guilt.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT LINKS TO THE RUSSIAN MARKET
According to the investigation, GGPoker is linked to the Russian-language platform PokerOK, whose head is named as Bryksin. Journalists also examined the redirection of users between gaming domains and the partner mechanisms under which the operator receives a commission for new clients.
The publication separately mentions Dmitry Punin, named as the beneficial owner of Pin-Up. He is under sanctions and through Ukrainian courts is trying to secure the removal of publications about his possible connections with Pin-Up and Russian business.
CONTEXT
Recall that FBRK previously reported on the schemes surrounding Pin-Up. We wrote about the manhunt for Dmitry Druzhinsky and Marina Levkovich, as well as the detention of blogger Kaisar Kamza and the manhunt for Makhmud Hikmatov.
According to the investigation's version, Dmitry Druzhinsky and Marina Levkovich coordinated the operation of online casinos under the brands "Pin-Up" and "PINCO" through a network of affiliated companies, including Bonami LLP, which obtained a licence for bookmaking activities under the Pin-Up-KZ brand. The promotion of the casino among audiences was carried out by public figures - in particular, blogger Kaisar Kamza. And Makhmud Hikmatov acted as the link between the casino and the influencers.
Through the payment infrastructure, which, according to some media, was built by Ilyas Karimov, over 106.5 billion tenge passed. It is claimed that these funds passed through fintech companies and acquiring channels, and were then converted into cryptocurrency through the Intebix exchange and withdrawn outside Kazakhstan.
Soon it became known about the case of Maxim Sigalov, who is suspected of tax evasion on a particularly large scale. He is the owner of the non-bank financial institutions Diamond Pay LLC and E-Pay LLC in Ukraine, which provided internet acquiring and payout services for online casinos and bookmakers, including "Ukr Game Technology" (Pin-Up), Vbet and Casino UA.
The legalisation of funds was carried out through substitution of transaction codes, payments to "drop" cards with subsequent cash withdrawal or conversion into cryptocurrency.
