Authorities in the North Kazakhstan region have shut down a major online casino, Nomad Poker, that was operating across the country, according to infohub.kz.
The investigation found that the casino, built on the mobile platform Club GG Poker, was coordinated by Kazakh citizens residing in Georgia. By using this scheme, the organizers hid their identities, made it difficult to trace money flows, and used accounts and communication devices registered to foreign nationals to run the illegal operation.
The illicit gambling platform operated around the clock, allowing users to play online poker with real-money bets and withdrawals. To attract new players, the organizers actively used social media, messaging apps, and advertising tools.
More than 20,000 users were drawn into the online casino. The organizers also built an extensive network of third-party bank accounts, known as money mules. Suspects arranged for foreign nationals to enter Kazakhstan and open bank cards and mobile banking accounts in exchange for up to $400.
Over 60 mule accounts were used to facilitate the casino's operations, with total player deposits exceeding 7.5 billion tenge (about $16.8 million).
As a result of the investigation, a court seized an apartment in Almaty, three cars, and 158 million tenge ($354,000) from mule bank accounts. The investigation is ongoing.