Polish journalists uncover possible links between Pin-Up and Russian gambling business

Bypassing bans and attracting players

Journalists from the Polish TV channel TVP Info published a report revealing the scheme used to bypass blocks on the online poker platform GGPoker within Poland. Footage was recorded showing the redirection from the main site to an alternative domain.

Furthermore, it was established that players from Poland can successfully make deposits using European bank cards.

The role of affiliate networks

The researchers paid particular attention to affiliate programmes. Through partner networks, users are redirected to gambling resources, while the owners of these links receive a commission for each new client.

As explained in the report: «Якщо користувач переходить за таким посиланням і реєструється в казино, агенція отримує комісію» (If a user follows such a link and registers at a casino, the agency receives a commission). Partner resources have a financial motivation to attract new players.

The investigation mentions the Club GG project, where one of the prizes for participants was a tournament entry package for an event held in Bratislava.

Links with Russian business and Pin-Up

Journalists attended an affiliate conference in Warsaw, where company representatives were present. They also filmed the Warsaw office of Pin-Up (a structure of Dmytro Punin's Red Core), showing official contacts and documents bearing the brand's logo.

Meanwhile, Pin-Up itself denied any connection with the Ukrainian company Pin-Up in a comment to the journalists.

The material mentions affiliate networks and the activities of a Russian citizen who is accused in Ukraine of organising gambling without a licence and money laundering.

Comments from Ukrainian experts

Oleksiy Kuprienko, co-founder of the Ukrainian initiative Don’t Fund Russian Army (DFRA), stated that the Ukrainian investigation into the activities of individuals linked to Pin-Up covered, among other things, their work in temporarily occupied territories.

According to him, Ukrainian authorities confiscated 2.6 billion UAH.

Criminal proceedings

The DFRA initiative links this investigation to Ivan Bryksin. According to the organisation, his name appears in Ukrainian criminal proceedings.

Specifically, this refers to the BES case regarding the activities of GGPoker/PokerOK, which was registered in December 2025.