Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
Former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) August Hanning, who was detained on suspicion of espionage, is listed as chairman of the board of Nevada Gaming Holding — the holding company that announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in the company owning the Ukrainian online casino Cosmolot. Journalists are examining the business’s ownership structure and possible links between its participants and Russia.
This was reported by the StopCor editorial team.
What is known about the case against August Hanning?
According to the German outlet ZDFheute, 80-year-old former BND head August Hanning was detained by officers of the Federal Criminal Police Office. The Federal Public Prosecutor General reported that the suspect is suspected, among other things, of attempting high treason and acting as an agent on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. Hanning’s former bureau head Manfred D. was detained along with Hanning.
.fancybox-div {text-align: center; font-size: 12px; margin: 0 0 20px 0;}
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
As reported by news agency ORF, investigators believe Manfred D. may have passed nearly 2000 documents to Hanning for money, at least until June 2022; many of those documents were classified. Hanning allegedly used them in his private consulting work, and in one case for an analytical note commissioned by an employee of a foreign intelligence service. According to the German press, Hanning denies the charges. The presumption of innocence applies to him until a court decision.
Important clarification: the prosecution has not officially named which foreign state the case concerns.
According to the outlet SRF, the matter allegedly does not involve Russia. As Stuttgarter Zeitung writes, investigators are likely checking Hanning’s contacts with an agent from Azerbaijan; official Baku denied these claims in a comment to Euronews.
For its part, the Federal Government spokesperson answered reporters from Berliner-Zeitung that "nothing can be ruled out."
As media outlet TSN notes, Hanning’s detention attracted particular attention because of his previous statements about the Russian threat. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2024, the former head of German intelligence warned that "Berlin underestimates the danger from Moscow."
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
How is the Ukrainian gambling brand Cosmolot connected?
As StopCor analysts found, on the Nevada Gaming Holding "About Us" page August Hanning is presented as Chairman of the Board. His biography there includes a direct mention of his leadership of the BND.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
The holding’s president and CEO is listed as Arnulf Damerau.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
At the end of October 2024 the holding officially announced on the same site the acquisition of a controlling stake in Cosmolot (LLC "Spaysiks").
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
According to the company, negotiations on the deal began at the Munich Security Conference in February 2024.
As industry outlet dev.ua wrote, already in the summer of 2023 the Nevada Gaming holding reportedly acquired Cosmolot. Article author Oleksandr Kuzmenko quotes the holding’s president:
"A year ago I invested funds from our family office in Spaysiks to study the market and increase my stake, reinvesting dividends into other Ukrainian IT companies, and also engaging in philanthropy," Damerau said.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
At the same time, public data does not yet make clear when exactly Hanning took the position of chairman of the board of Nevada Gaming Holding, whether he has a stake in the holding, or whether he could influence decisions regarding the Ukrainian business.
Note that a mention on the site also does not mean Cosmolot is implicated in the case being investigated in Germany. For that reason we are currently examining Nevada Gaming Holding’s registration documents and those of affiliated companies.
Why is this story sensitive for Ukraine?
Cosmolot has long been under journalists’ scrutiny. As early as 2022 StopCor wrote that Serhiy Tokarev, whom the media called the founder of Cosmolot, was reportedly subject to NSDC sanctions in 2016 and later may have been removed from them.
According to media outlet OBOZ.UA (quote): "Tokarev is known as the founder of a pirate online casino. After the project was banned in Russia, he moved to Ukraine, where he continued in the gambling business. According to Ukrainian media, after moving to Kyiv Tokarev founded a number of online casinos. In 2016 he was placed under NSDC sanctions: 10 restrictions were imposed against him, including asset freezes. In 2020 Tokarev was removed from the sanctions and began active work to restore his reputation. Also, according to the media, since 2016 he 172 times flew to Moscow and visited the annexed Crimea bypassing the Ukrainian state border."
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
In February 2024 the SFSB seized 700 million UAH in accounts of a gambling company suspected of tax evasion. According to "Economic Truth," this concerned "Cosmolot". Cosmolot itself denied the information.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
In April 2026 the regulator PlayCity annulled Spaysiks’ license, but a court suspended that decision.
In July this year investigators from the Vidsich project reported on their Telegram channel that Serhiy Tokarev’s firm ROOSH (LLC "RUUSH") is a resident of Diia.City, created by the Ministry of Digital Transformation during the tenure of Mykhailo Fedorov.
Spy scandal in Germany: detained former BND head chairs board of directors of Cosmolot owner
Separately, media outlet Antikor linked the Cosmobet brand (LLC "NeuroLink") to Tokarev, but the company itself stated it allegedly has no relation to either Cosmolot or Tokarev.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Шпигунський скандал у Німеччині: затриманий ексголова BND очолює раду директорів власника Cosmolot". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.
