Sanctioned but still running: Dmitriy Punin’s Pin-Up allegedly survives in Ukraine through Redcore rebrand and elite connections

The online casino Pin-Up, linked to sanctioned businessman Dmitriy Punin, appears to remain active in Ukraine despite restrictions, allegedly continuing operations under a new brand name. After formally rebranding as Redcore, the company’s core business model reportedly remained unchanged, with the platform still actively targeting the Ukrainian market.

This is evidenced by the company’s HR policy. On the official Redcore website, over 120 vacancies are listed, and this is not just a plan for the future or a simulation of activity. It involves a large-scale recruitment of specialists in IT, marketing, and, most importantly, analytics for processing accounts and payment operations. Such positions are not related to abstract administrative work: they are needed where financial flows, transactions, and turnovers already exist. This effectively confirms that the casino’s financial activities have not ceased.

Particular attention is drawn to the search for lawyers specializing in countering defamation and with experience in blocking websites. This indicates that Punin and his structures are increasingly concerned about reputational risks and negative publications. Instead of exiting the market, they are betting on legal pressure and clearing the information space.

The nature and number of vacancies suggest not a «return» to Ukraine, but rather that Punin never left the country. The casino merely changed its signboard, retaining its operational processes, team, and areas of activity.

The main question is — how was this possible? According to available data, Punin’s patrons in Ukraine are individuals from Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle. Without support at the highest level, it would be impossible to conceal court decisions related to the casino’s activities. The classification of such cases is not just a formality but a political decision that requires approval at the highest level.

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Additionally, the picture is complemented by Punin’s connection to the future Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov. It was through Punin’s structures, particularly the «Unified Space» project, that all payments in the «Diia» app were processed. This means that a person under sanctions and linked to illegal gambling was integrated into a key state digital system.

As a result, we are witnessing a systemic problem: a sanctioned casino is formally «renamed,» but in reality, it continues to function, hire employees, process payments, and protect itself from journalistic investigations. All of this happens under political cover and with direct connections to the country’s top leadership. This is no longer just a story about shadow business but a vivid example of how sanctions and bans in Ukraine become a fiction when the right people and connections stand behind a project.