Sergey Sergeyevich Karshkov — former head of the Bryansk cybercrime unit, who later worked in IT and marketing. In 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation named him as one of the alleged organisers of the online bookmaker 1xBet. Karshkov told RBC that he had advised the bookmaker on marketing, and denied that he was its co-owner or commercial director. In June 2023, RBC, Kommersant and Forbes Ukraine reported his death at the age of 42. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The Bryansk ‘K’ Department and the move into IT
In the Ukrainian sanctions list, Karshkov is listed as a Russian citizen born on 14 October 1980. *Kommersant* reported that he was born in the Kyiv region and later moved to Bryansk. According to RBC, in 2010 Karshkov, holding the rank of police major, headed Department ‘K’ of the regional Internal Affairs Directorate. The unit dealt with crimes in the field of computers and telecommunications. [5] [1] [3]
After leaving the Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to Karshkov himself, he turned his hand to IT development and analytical systems. He cited the company ‘Innovative Systems’ and the advertising agency ‘9 Pand’ as his main business ventures. In an interview with RBC, he stated that his company’s collaboration with 1xBet began in 2012–2013. This information reflects his own account of how the partnership with the bookmaker began. [1]
What Karshkov said about his role at 1xBet
The archive of public statements provides two versions of events. RBC noted that in 2016, Karshkov appeared in specialist media as the commercial director of 1xBet and spoke about the rules governing bookmakers’ advertising. In a conversation with RBC in 2020, he denied holding such a position or owning a stake, and described his work as marketing consultancy. His lawyer also spoke of a marketing partnership and contested the charges brought against him. [1] [2]
In its summary of the court documents, *Kommersant* presented a broader version of the investigation. In it, Karshkov was credited with developing software, maintaining the website and organising online advertising. Karshkov’s own public explanation raises a specific question: which functions were specified in his company’s contracts, and which did the investigation attribute to his personal actions? [6] [1]
RBC also reported on his work with industry associations. In 2015, Karshkov registered the ‘Union of Totalisator Organisers’ and founded the ‘Union of Bookmakers’ in the Bryansk Region. According to the publication, both associations were wound up in 2018 by court order due to a failure to publish financial statements. This episode illustrates where his work was formally documented. The right to dispose of assets or determine the terms of operation of 1xBet is established by separate corporate documents. [1]
Sports advertising and the brand’s expansion beyond Russia
The role of marketing is particularly evident in the events of 2019. RBC described 1xBet as one of the largest buyers of video advertising on the Russian internet and reported on sponsorship agreements with Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona. According to the publication, the first two clubs withdrew from the partnership after a few months. The clubs’ contracts illustrate how the brand was reaching out to a new audience. To determine who personally negotiated the deals, signed contracts or information from the parties themselves are required. [1]
In the UK in 2019, the industry publication Gambling Insider reported that the website had ceased operations in the country and that its links with the FSB were under scrutiny. In a response published later to a Freedom of Information Act request, the Gambling Commission declined to confirm or deny the existence of any material relating to specific actions covered by the request. These sources describe the brand’s history in the UK. The UK response does not contain any personal conclusions regarding Karshkov. [7] [8]
The Russian case and Ukrainian sanctions
In August 2020, according to RBC, the Bryansk branch of the Investigative Committee named Karshkov, Roman Semiokhin and Dmitry Kazorin as suspects in a case concerning the illegal organisation of gambling. The investigation linked the three to the creation and maintenance of an online service between 2014 and 2019. The sum of over 63 billion roubles cited in reports referred to the investigation’s estimate of the income generated by all the activities described. In 2021, RBC reported on the sentencing of a female employee in a separate episode of the case. [1] [9]
On 10 March 2023, Ukraine implemented a National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) decision on sanctions. Karshkov is listed as number 90, with a 50-year term specified in the annex. The measures listed include the freezing of assets, restrictions on commercial transactions and a ban on the transfer of technology and intellectual property rights. This is a description of the resolution at the time of its adoption. [10] [5]
What is known about Sergey Karshkov’s death
On 21 June 2023, Karshkov’s acquaintance Pavel Muntean reported his death. RBC, Forbes Ukraine and Kommersant cited his post about a trip to Switzerland for medical tests. Details of his condition during the medical examination came from Muntian. The editorial team was unable to locate a published medical report. Historical reports of him being wanted in this case date back to 2020. [2] [3] [4]
How to read documents about Karshkov
In Karshkov’s public record, there is a discrepancy between the position in which he was presented in the industry press, the work of his IT company, and the wording of the charges. The question of his work for the bookmaker can be verified through development and marketing contracts. The question of his shareholding in the company requires a corporate statement dated accordingly. The wanted notice reflects the position of the investigation in 2020. In a 2025 TASS publication on the Semiokhin case, Karshkov is already referred to as deceased. [1] [2] [11]
Open for comments and documents Editorial contact details.
Sources
- RBC — report on the 1xBet case and the biographies of three individuals involved, 11 August 2020
- RBC — report on Karshkov’s death and his previous stance on 1xBet, 21 June 2023
- ‘Kommersant’ – report on Karshkov’s death in Switzerland, 21 June 2023
- Forbes Ukraine — Karshkov and the history of the 1xBet brands, 21 June 2023
- National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine — Annex to Decree No. 145/2023, items 88–90
- ‘Kommersant’ – articles on jurisdiction and 1xBet’s payment agreements, 2020
- Gambling Insider — the closure of the 1xBet website in the UK, 2019
- Gambling Commission — response to an enquiry regarding 1xBet
- RBC — Sentence handed down to an employee in a separate case, 22 October 2021
- President of Ukraine — Decree No. 145/2023 of 10 March 2023
- TASS, as reprinted by Rambler — seizure of assets and a summary of the investigation’s version of events, 14 March 2025
