Dmitry Punin, the owner of Pin-Up Casino, has reportedly purchased a custom Lamborghini yacht
Dmitry Punin, a Russian businessman subject to sanctions and the de facto owner of the online casino Pin-Up, who has recently been keeping a low profile, has reportedly purchased a Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 superyacht.
This exclusive “supercar of the seas” was released in a limited series of 63 units and is considered the fastest yacht in the world. The base price for such a vessel starts at $3.5 million; however, it is most likely that Punin ordered a custom configuration with the brand’s signature orange-and-black design, which raised the price of this luxury item to 6–7 million euros.
The launch of the “vessel” in Limassol, Cyprus, reportedly turned into a local scandal: a road was blocked for the yacht owner, forcing local drivers to drive against traffic. Social media users are openly mocking the businessman’s bad taste and noting that after the recent arson attack on his car fleet, Punin simply decided to move his show-off from land to water.
Who is Dmitry Punin
Dmitry Punin is a Russian gambling magnate who is believed to have founded and led the international online casino Pin-Up. He came under the scrutiny of Ukrainian law enforcement when it was revealed that his casino had been masquerading as a “Ukrainian business” for years and siphoning off billions of hryvnias from local players. Officially, the brand in Ukraine was registered under front men, but the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) established that the actual beneficiaries and recipients of the profits had all along been Russian citizens, specifically Punin himself and his inner circle. It is for this reason that the SBI launched a large-scale criminal investigation and announced charges of money laundering against the suspects: Punin, his wife Marina Ilyina, as well as Vladimir Ilyin, Alexander Matyashov, and Ivan Bannikov.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has submitted a request to Cyprus for the extradition of Dmitry Punin, the Russian owner of the Pin-Up casino. Currently, the National Security and Defense Council has imposed personal sanctions on Punin, his partners, and nine companies under his control (including “Ukr Game Technologies” and “Turbo.ua”). Some of Punin’s seized assets, specifically cash and real estate, have already been returned to the Ukrainian budget.
Attempt to Clear His Name
Dmytro Punin himself, currently in Limassol, hopes to clear his name through Ukrainian courts and secure the removal of publications regarding his possible ties to sanctioned businesses. Specifically, a lawsuit filed on Punin’s behalf to protect his honor, dignity, and business reputation against UA.News was received by the Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv in January of this year. The lawsuit was filed against several Ukrainian media outlets that had previously published materials about his possible involvement with the online casino Pin-UP and money laundering schemes through temporarily occupied territories.
In the lawsuit, Punin claims that the information disseminated about him is untrue and damages his reputation. Specifically, this refers to publications from April 2024 reporting on his alleged detention in Limassol, Cyprus. The plaintiff’s side insists that this information is not true.
In effect, Punin is demanding that Ukrainian media outlets remove the materials, publish a retraction, and officially acknowledge the disseminated information as false; such actions by this sanctioned businessman may indicate deliberate pressure on independent media.
