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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
FavBet. How the 'emigrant' Matyukha's company operated without a license and served Russians during the war
The well-known Ukrainian bookmaker and casino operator FavBet regularly reports assistance to Ukrainian troops.
They transfer off-road vehicles, drones, radios, and many other items to the front line for millions of hryvnias. And then the owner of the company, Andriy Matyukha, loudly talks about this in Ukrainian media. Loudly, as rarely anyone does. And there are many reasons for that.
Andriy Matyukha, the owner of FavBet, prudently left Ukraine a few days before the war began. He moved to Croatia. Later, staff were moved here and to Romania for business operations. The head of the company’s business department, Serhiy Dzerkunov, said that Favbet had already developed official apps on iOS and Android for the local market and continued licenses for online casinos and betting activities. Matyukha himself tries not to disclose his whereabouts and vehemently shields this question with messages of patriotism and support for the armed forces.
Which Ukrainian bookmakers and casino operators did not work for the Russian market? Almost none. The market was large and brought huge revenues to the gambling sector. But after 24 February, all respectable Ukrainian companies sharply cut off any ties with the Russian Federation. But not FavBet.
Officially, the company stated at the beginning of March that it no longer works with Russia and exited the Belarusian market, where it also had offline betting points; when registering on Favbet and Favorit sites, today there is indeed no Russia or Belarus in the country dropdown. But this is only official and formal.
Andriy Matyukha and his Russian passport
In reality, they are ready to assist Russian citizens in connecting to the Ukrainian bookmaker's services. In the summer 2022, journalists conducted an experiment and asked for help registering a Russian with a Russian Tinkoff Bank payment card. This did not pose a problem for the support service. 'Thank you for waiting!) You can register on our site, provided that during registration you indicate the country Israel, and during verification you immediately send documents from Israel),' replied operator Stepan, after consulting with the administration.
There are also many other confirmations in the network of FavBet's work with citizens of Russia and Belarus. In particular, on review sites, positive feedback about interactions with citizens of these countries with the company's products is regularly updated. Even if you simply google 'FavBet Russia' and 'FavBet Belarus,' you can find a lot of interesting information that completely contradicts the company's statements about suspending operations in these countries.
Naturally, to avoid embarrassment from such an approach, the Ukrainian company has to claim to assist the Armed Forces.
Although in Romania FavBet continues to hold licenses, pays all taxes, and tries not to violate the letter of the law, in Ukraine the company operates in the opposite manner. The most well-known product of the company is betting on sports events. Online betting or bookmaker activity. This is what the Andriy Matyukha brand has been known for for many years. But formalizing its relations with the state in this area FavBet dared to do only in December 2022 year. This is evidenced by information on the website of the state Commission for Regulating Gambling. Two and a half years after the Ukrainian gambling market opened and almost a year into the war. Journalists calculated that this way the company did not pay about 100 million UAH in taxes annually.
To prevent a reputation as a tax deadbeat from becoming public, the company focused on charitable activities, which cost Andriy Matyuka much less.
It is also worth recalling the history of the Favbet Foundation charity fund. In 2020 year it coincided with pressure from law enforcement on Favbet's illegal activities in Ukraine. Recall that the first searches at the company's office occurred at the end of 2019 year, after which all betting points were closed. And later, by court decision, the main site of the company in Ukraine was blocked. All these troubles occurred with Matyukha's business amid the reform of the gambling industry.
Then, thanks to massive charitable activity, Matyusi managed to keep his reputation afloat, and a few years later gained fame as one of the main philanthropists of the Ukrainian gambling business. But such a businessman and such a business should continue operating in Ukraine, which can only be decided by the citizens and the appropriate bodies.
akcenty.com.ua
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "FavBet. Як компанія «емігранта» Матюхи працювала без ліцензії та обслуговувала росіян під час війни". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.
