Azerbaijan Detains Online Betting Organizers Over Illegal Wagers via 1xBet

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says its Cybercrime Department has carried out another operation against people organizing illegal online betting. For high-risk PSPs, the useful part is simple: the case points to the mechanics of how prohibited betting flows are actually routed — through a local front, Telegram acquisition, and payment rails that leave a trail.

1. The Ministry says it detained Jamal Ahmedov, along with Hajiakbar Abbaszade, Seifeddin Ismayilov, Nabi Abdullayev, and Emil Abbasly, who worked under his supervision. They are suspected of drawing citizens into illegal gambling through 1xBet, which is prohibited in the country.
2. According to investigators, Ahmedov rented an apartment in Baku’s Khatai district and used the BakuCash profile to organize bets. Client acquisition was done mainly through Telegram, which is a familiar pattern in this part of the market: traffic gets pushed off-platform, while payments and settlement sit somewhere else.
3. During the search, police seized phones, bank cards, and other electronic evidence. That matters for PSPs and acquiring teams because these are the kinds of artifacts investigators use to map who controlled the flow, who recruited players, and where the funds moved.
4. Preliminary data put the group’s illegal turnover at more than 1 million manats. A criminal case has been opened, and four of the suspects have been arrested.