Original Spirit is the live casino studio that was recently raided by the National Police of Ukraine (NPU), NEXT.io can reveal.
Original Spirit is the live casino studio that was recently raided by the National Police of Ukraine (NPU), NEXT.io can reveal.
The live casino studio was reportedly sold to an Asian-based B2B gaming supplier in 2021, according to an anonymous source who took part in its set-up.
This followed the studio’s creation in 2020, which involved a Malta-based live dealer solutions business.
Ukrainian police raided the studio earlier this month, after accusing it of conducting illegal gambling and noting false information on its licence application.
Photos downloaded from Original Spirit’s website appear to match those provided by the police, showing the same layout, tables and decoration.
Stills taken from Original Spirit’s YouTube account also show the control room space as photographed by the NPU.
Sources told NEXT.io that during the set-up of the studio they were warned not to take too many photographs due to potential violations of Ukrainian law.
They added that as well as B2B live casino, the company was also involved in offering B2C gaming directly to consumers.
According to Original Spirit, an entity called Original Spirit UA was granted a licence by the Ukrainian gambling regulator KRAIL in November 2021.
The police said: “Police officers, with the support of the special unit of the Patrol Police Department, conducted a search at the actual location of the premises in the city of Dnipro, from which access to gambling was provided.
“In several large gaming halls, more than 120 people were found who provided online casino activities. More than 60 units of gaming tables and roulettes, decks of cards and dice, as well as servers, computer equipment and other evidence of illegal activity were seized.”
The police added the president of Ukraine imposed personal sanctions against the co-owner and chairman of the board of the company that controls the studio.
NEXT.io reached out to both Original Spirit and those understood to be its Asia-based owners, but did not receive a reply by our deadline.