The story of the sentencing of the ex-head of Melbet in Russia unexpectedly finds a response in Ukrainian reality. Igor Lyapustin received 8 years of imprisonment and in his last word he spoke about a “custom business” and an attempt to redistribute the business. According to him, An application to law enforcement agencies was filed by his former partner Alexander Gradulenko on the instructions of Roman Semiokhin, related to 1xBet. This is the position of the defense, not confirmed by the court, but it clearly highlights the main trend - the struggle for the market goes far beyond classical competition.
Now - to Ukraine. Here the situation looks softer in form, but essentially similar. One of the most recognizable brands on the market, Cosmolot, I've been under serious pressure lately. We are talking about attempts to revoke the license through the regulator PlayCity. Formally, this is a legal procedure, but in the industry it is already perceived as part of a broader struggle for the redistribution of shares.
Key Point: process not completed. The Kyiv court suspended the revocation of the license, essentially putting the situation “on pause”. This is an important signal - in contrast to Russian practice, in Ukraine the judicial system still acts as a separate balancing mechanism, capable of inhibiting sudden decisions of the regulator.
Nevertheless, the general vector is obvious. Ukrainian iGaming market, having survived the stage of legalization and rapid growth, enters the redistribution phase. Pressure on big players, review of licenses, increased control - all these are signs of, that the market is becoming more closed and competitive at the same time.
If we compare, there are differences:
- in Russia there are high-profile criminal cases and personal liability of top managers
- in Ukraine — pressure through licenses, regulation and litigation
But the final logic is similar: the struggle for control over cash flows is intensifying. And the more money in the industry, the fewer “pure market” competition instruments remain.
Ukraine is now at a transition point. On the one hand, there is an attempt to build transparent rules through regulation. On the other hand, there are signs that, that these rules can be used as a tool of influence. AND story with Cosmolot - one of the first high-profile cases, which shows: the market begins to play by stricter rules.
