1xBet-linked illegal gambling group detained in Azerbaijan after 1 million manat turnover

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said its Cybercrime Department detained an organizer and four accomplices accused of running illegal gambling through 1xBet and recruiting players via Telegram. For PSPs and acquirers, the important part is not the Telegram hustle; it is that the case lands alongside a draft law that would tighten penalties for online gambling organizers in Azerbaijan.

1. The operation was carried out by the Main Cybercrime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Authorities said five suspects were detained in total: one organizer and four accomplices.
2. According to the investigation, the group organized gambling on the 1xBet platform and brought in new players through Telegram. The alleged turnover of the criminal group exceeded 1 million manat ($588 thousand).
3. All five suspects have been taken into custody, a criminal case has been opened, and the investigation is ongoing. For payment providers, that usually means the file is still moving, not frozen in press-release limbo.
4. Separately, Azerbaijan’s parliament has passed in the first reading a bill to increase punishment for organizing online gambling in the country. The draft предусматривает fines of up to twice the income obtained from the crime, plus restriction of freedom for 2 to 4 years or imprisonment for the same term.