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1xBet
Cyprus-based online gambling company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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1xBet is an online gambling company licensed by Curaçao eGaming License. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cyprus.[3] 1xBet is one of the world's largest online casinos and according to Sports Illustrated "probably the biggest sportsbook on the planet".[4] The company sponsors major professional football teams such as Spain's FC Barcelona,[2] Ecuador's Barcelona S.C.,[5] France's Paris Saint-Germain[6] and major Esports teams such as OG Esports, Team Spirit, Made in Brazil and Tundra Esports.[7]
The organization operates a franchise business model.[8] Following investigations into the company's finances, it is not allowed to operate in a variety of countries including the US, UK, Russia, France and Spain[9] which led the company to change its focus to Africa, South America, South East Asia and India.[4] The company partnered with celebrities such as Maître Gims in Congo[10] and Dave Leduc in Myanmar.[11]
International arrest warrants have been issued for the company's three founders, one of whom reportedly died in Switzerland in 2023.[3] The website accepts bets on a variety of sporting events such as football, basketball, cricket, tennis, and esports, as well as make predictions on political, economic, and cultural events or even the weather.[12] The platform has raised controversies for accepting bets on amateur matches involving minors and cockfighting.[3] In 2025, 1xBet became the official betting partner of the Billie Jean King Cup.[13]
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History
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The company was founded in Russia by Roman Semiokhin, Dmitry Kazorin, and a former Russian intelligence agent named Sergey Karshkov (d. June 2023).[4] By 2021, their company had made more than US$655 mln in illegal gambling.[3]
In March 2020, 1xBet confirmed the company's expansion into the Mexican market following its approval for an operational licence. The company also announced its plan to focus on the esports betting market within the Latin American country.[14]
In March 2022, 1xBet expanded into the Chilean market by signing a partnership agreement with the Chilean football championship, with the company becoming part of the 138 matches of the 2022 season.[15]
In November 2022, Lethwei world champion Dave Leduc became an ambassador 1xBet in Myanmar and also Cambodia.[11][16]
In October 2023, Congolese musician Maître Gims became an ambassador for 1xBet.[10]
Despite criminal prosecution in several countries, 1xBet secured major sponsorship contracts, for example, it remains the sponsor of FC Barcelona until 2029 and sponsors Paris Saint-Germain FC from 2022 to 2025.[6] As of 2024, the monthly average number of visitors to its platform exceeded 5 million, and the company passed the first round of licensing applications to legally operate in Brazil.[3]
In February 2025, it became the title sponsor of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League in the Philippines under a contract planned to last through 2026.[17]
In April 2025, 1xBet was named the Official Global Betting Partner of the Billie Jean King Cup.[13] The deal includes exclusive branding rights across qualifiers, playoffs, and finals until 2026, marking the first standalone betting sponsorship for the tournament.[18]
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Controversy
In 2019, The Sunday Times conducted an investigation, which led to 1xBet's licence to be revoked by the UK Gambling Commission after revelations of involvement ‘promoting a "pornhub casino’, bets on children's sports and cockfighting, and advertising on illegal websites."[19][20][3]
In 2020, 1xBet was added to Russia's blacklist of payment processors and the Federal Tax Service.[21][22]
In 2024, Bellingcat and the platform Josimar reported that 1xBet allegedly organized thousands of live-streamed amateur games involving fake teams and children as young as 14 years old.[23][24]
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Criminal investigation
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In early 2020, awareness was raised of an unlawful practice,[25] an international arrest warrant was issued by Russian authorities.[3] Later, in August 2020, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Russian Bryansk Region released the names of the supposed creators of 1xBet. These are "Sergey Karshkov", "Roman Semiokhin" and "Dmitry Kazorin".[26] All three have Cypriot citizenship.[25] The trio are suspected of organizing the online bookmaker 1xBet, and are defendants in a criminal case, with penalty of imprisonment. A number of estates in Russia with a total value of 1.5 billion rubles were seized.[26]
In 2021, Parlan Law Firm announced a search for victims of 1xBet in Russia. The company has organized a service for filing applications to the investigative committee. They filed a lawsuit against the owner of the Russian version of 1xBet – bookmaker 1xStavka.[27]
In 2023, Morocco's National Judicial Police Brigade (BNPJ) opened a mass investigation into 1xBet among other gambling websites on charges of operating an illegal gambling enterprise following a complaint by MDJS.[28][3]
In November 2021 1xBet's subsidiary company, 1хCorр MV, filed for bankruptcy in a Curaçao court after it refused to refund a group of gamblers represented by the foundation for Curaçao gaming victims. The company was declared bankrupt in June 2022 but continued to operate.[29] The individuals state that 1xBet structurally deniеs the legitimate wins of players with millions of euros in unpaid winnings.[30] In January 2023, 1xCorp MV was declared bankrupt by the Dutch Supreme Court in the Netherlands.[31][32]
Awards
In December 2023, 1xBet was nominated in the Scandinavian online gambling market at the EGR Nordics Awards. The nominations included Affiliate Programme, Casino Operator, Customer Services Operator, Marketing Campaign, Operator of the Year, Sports Betting Operator, and Sports Betting Platform.[33]
In 2024, 1xBet was named Best Esport Operator in Latin America at the SiGMA Americas Awards, held in São Paulo.[34] On June 4, 2024, 1xBet also won Digital Sports Betting Operator of the Year and Best Affiliate Program award at the Global Gaming Expo#G2E Asia Global Gaming Expo (G2E Asia) Asia-Pacific 2024 held at SMX Convention Center in Manila.[35][36]
In January 2025, 1xBet won the Mobile Sports Product of the Year at International Gamers Awards, held in Barcelona.[37] The company was also awarded Best Sportsbook Operator in Latin America at the SiGMA Americas Awards, held in São Paulo.[38] The company was recognized for its sportsbook platform and robust marketing presence across Latin America.[39][40]
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References
External links
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