How Iran's military ran a $4bn gambling network as part of a sanctions-dodging op: Report

IRGC has been using an online gambling network to evade Western sanctions, Reuters report A sophisticated $4 billion sanctions-evasion network has allegedly helped Iran move money through illegal online gambling operations, cryptocurrency transactions and an unlicensed Dubai-based crypto exchange. The network gave sanctioned Iranian entities access to global cryptocurrency markets despite Western restrictions, according to the Reuters investigation.The operation centred on Shelbit, a Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange that investigators say acted as a financial hub linking Iran's central bank, a Farsi-language gambling network comprising more than 2,000 websites, suspected state-backed bitcoin mining operations and major international crypto exchanges. Blockchain data reviewed by Reuters showed Shelbit processed at least $4 billion in cryptocurrency since May 2024, including hundreds of millions of dollars routed to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange.The gambling network is fronted by two flashy Iranian influencers with high-level government connections – Sasha Sobhani, operating from a villa in Madrid, and Pooyan Mokhtari, who until recently was based in a luxury hotel ...