📢Azerbaijan🇦🇿: organizers of an illegal online betting network linked to 1xBet arrested

📢Azerbaijan🇦🇿: organizers of an illegal online betting network linked to 1xBet arrested

Authorities have arrested five individuals, and according to investigators, the group's transaction volume exceeded 1 million manats (588,200 USD). Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the suspects.

💎 Main suspect: investigators allege that the scheme was led by Jamal Ahmedov, who reportedly recruited customers through the BakuCash channel on Telegram.

💎 Legal framework: organizing or operating online gambling activities — including through social media platforms and mobile applications — is a criminal offense under Article 244-1 of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code. The authorities are also considering, and have already begun approving, legislative amendments aimed at further strengthening penalties.Under the proposed changes, repeat offenders involved in organizing such activities online could face up to four years' imprisonment.

💎 Background: in 1999, Azerbaijan effectively banned private gambling operations, with the exception of state-run lotteries. The decision followed a major scandal involving the country's largest casino, located at the Grand Hotel Europe, in 1997. According to reports, one of the principal figures in the case was the son of a senior state official linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2021, Parliament amended the Law on Telecommunications, introducing measures that require telecommunications operators to block access to foreign online gambling platforms attempting to operate in the domestic market.

Some industry analysts consider this GEO to have commercial potential. However, enforcement trends indicate that it remains a high-risk regulatory environment.

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