Russian Criminals Build Scalable Affiliate Network for Slick Cryptogambling Scams

August 29, 2025

Cybersecurity specialists claim that a turnkey affiliate network operated from Russia is the source of the more sophisticated wave of online gambling frauds that have taken over the internet in recent weeks.

In July, investigators at KrebsOnSecurity noticed a sudden growth of what are being called “scambling” sites – online gaming portals that attract players with enormous promotional credits only to demand cryptocurrency contributions when it’s time to cash out, then vanish with the funds.

‘Soulless Project’

Behind the effort is an associate operation known as Gambler Panel, which openly proclaims itself a “soulless project … made for profit.”  The platform gives its partners with a fully tailored “fake casino engine,” engineered down to the pixel to appear real even to veteran gamblers, KrebsOnSecurity says.

Scammers are using startup-style procedures and marketing strategies to expand theft with brutal efficiency, according to Gambler Panel.

This is how the scam works: victims see ads on social media touting an exclusive collaboration with sports or celebrities and be offered a $2,500 credit in exchange for signing up with a discount code.  Once entered, they play the games and appear to win — but when they seek withdrawal, they’re told a “verification deposit” of around $100 in crypto is required.  After depositing, consumers are gently encouraged into making further more wagers, and nearly usually lose everything.

This scam has been institutionalized by the Massive Network Gambler Panel, which has established a strong infrastructure to facilitate exploitation.  Affiliates keep up to 70% of the profits.  Advertising templates, chat assistance scripts, and even Instagram and TikTok-specific strategies are all available in the platform's wiki.

The network appears massive: the program promises more than 20K affiliates, each receiving at least $10 every validated deposit.  New partners are screened through a Telegram group with roughly 2,500 active members. The only traffic restriction?  No users from CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries.

Visually, Gambler Panel replicates a slick startup, with social media displays of sophisticated affiliate consoles, expensive autos, and promotional models.

One cybersecurity enthusiast known as “Thereallo,” a 17‑year‑old controlling various Discord servers, helped uncover the network.

“The wiki is kinda like a ‘how to scam 101’ for criminals written with the clarity you would expect from a legitimate company,” he told KrebsOnSecurity. “It’s clean, has step-by-step guides, and treats their scam platform like a real product. You could swap out the content, and it could be any documentation for startups.”