Sergey Portnov

In this name that follows East Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Yuriyovych and the family name is Portnov.
Sergey Portnov
Портнов Сергій Юрійович
Portnov in 2025
Born
Kyiv
Other namesSerhiy Portnov
CitizenshipCyprus
EducationUniversity of Salford
Cass Business School
Occupations
  • CEO
  • entrepreneur
Years active2011–present
OrganizationParimatch
Known forCEO and owner of Parimatch
Awards
  • "Leader of the Year" (SBC Awards, 2018,[1] 2020)
  • "CEO of the year" (Global Regulatory Awards, 2020)

Sergey Portnov (Serhiy Portnov, Ukrainian: Портнов Сергій Юрійович) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and the CEO and owner of Parimatch.

Biography

Portnov was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. He studied in the UK, where he earned a bachelor's degree in gaming business and leisure management from the University of Salford, and also graduated from Cass Business School in London with a degree in management. In 2005, his father's friend, Eduard Shwindlerman, paid for Portnov's education in the UK.[2]

After completing his studies, Portnov returned to Ukraine, becoming marketing director at Parimatch in 2011 and taking over as CEO in 2013. In his role as CEO, Portnov implemented significant changes, transforming the company from an offline bookmaker into an online platform.[3] Portnov focused on digital technologies, and under his leadership, business processes were restructured, and the company's research department grew from 5 to 200 employees over several years.[4][5][6]

In 2018, the number of registered users on Parimatch grew by almost 25%, and the daily betting volume increased by 40%.[1] Portnov also changed his approach to advertising, and the company ran several advertising campaigns featuring famous athletes.[7] In 2019, UFC champion Conor McGregor[8] and former boxer Mike Tyson became brand ambassadors,[9][10] followed by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021.[11][12] Portnov also began to enter into international partnerships, became a sponsor of several sports teams and federations, and signed a partnership agreement with the UFC.[13][14][15] Company partners list include Leicester City,[16] Juventus,[17][18] Everton,[19][20] Chelsea,[21] Manchester United,[22] Leeds United[23][24][25] (2025), and others. Under Portnov's leadership, the company began to develop its esports division, joined the Esports Integrity Commission in February 2020, and became a sponsor of several teams, including Fnatic.[26]

In 2021, Portnov left his position as CEO, becoming a co-owner of the company and chairman of its supervisory board.[27] In 2022, Parimatch announced its withdrawal from the Russian market, revoked all licenses, and refused to use its trademark in this territory.[28][29] Despite this, in March 2023, the company became the only Ukrainian company to be sanctioned by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine along with a number of Russian companies.[30] Parimatch claimed that the revocation of its license to operate in Ukraine was unlawful and challenged this decision in court, citing the conclusion of the law firm Mayer Brown (USA), which confirmed that the company had no ties to business in the Russian Federation.[31][32]

In September 2024, Portnov acquired a controlling stake in Parimatch Group from co-owner Kateryna Biloruska, after which he became the sole owner of the company.[6][33][34][35] By the end of 2024, Portnov had also bought out the shares of minority shareholders, finally consolidating Parimatch under his leadership.[36][37]

Other activities

In 2021–2022, Portnov temporarily stepped away from managing Parimatch to focus on educational projects, becoming a co-owner of Trinity School in Cyprus, which operates under the International Baccalaureate program and has been awarding corresponding diplomas since 2025.[38][39][40] The school implements the Primary Years Programme for elementary school (students aged 3–12) and the Middle Years Programme for middle school (11–16) and is designed for 500 students.[41]

Awards

  • "Leader of the Year" according to SBC Awards, London (2018)[1]
  • "Leader of the Year" according to SBC Awards (2020)[42]
  • "CEO of the year" according to Global Regulatory Awards (2020)[43]

Personal life

Portnov lives in Cyprus and is a citizen of that country. He is married and has a daughter. He is a professional poker player and practices Thai boxing.[44] He has close ties with Dana White and Conor McGregor.[45][46]

References

  1. ^ a b c admin (2018-12-06). "SBC Awards 2018 produces a record 32 different winners". SBC Events. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  2. ^ "Хто володіє Parimatch? Як і навіщо 31-річна спадкоємиця Едуарда Швіндлермана стала власницею бізнесу на мільярд". dev.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  3. ^ Miller, George (2019-12-05). "Parimatch crowned winners of Marketing Campaign of the Year at the 2019 SBC Awards". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  4. ^ "Betegy technology to automate Parimatch B2C marketing systems". 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  5. ^ "Meet The CEO With Tyson And McGregor On Speed Dial". Men's Health. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  6. ^ a b "Sergey Portnov to take full control at Parimatch after Kateryna Biloruska exit". 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  7. ^ "SBC Magazine Issue 9: Esports future, online shift and Brazil betting soap opera". 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  8. ^ "Parimatch launches 'epic' Conor McGregor campaign". 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  9. ^ "Parimatch pens deal with boxing legend Tyson". 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  10. ^ Davies, Craig (2019-07-04). "Parimatch drafts Mike Tyson as brand ambassador". CasinoBeats. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  11. ^ "Хто насправді фінансує Усика: ДТЕК, АТБ та інші великі гравці". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  12. ^ "Parimatch Ukraine запускає масштабну платформу ResponsibleGambling: Вболівай серцем – грай головою!". www.ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  13. ^ "Parimatch extends UFC partnership". 2020-07-09. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  14. ^ "UFC NAMES PARIMATCH AS OFFICIAL SPORTSBOOK AND BETTING PARTNER IN ASIA". UFC. Archived from the original on 2025-09-17. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  15. ^ Cunningham, Euan (2025-03-26). "Another regional betting deal for UFC, Parimatch in as Asian partner". Sportcal. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  16. ^ "Parimatch secures Leicester City partnership". 2020-09-14. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  17. ^ "Parimatch nets highest Serie A coverage with Juventus". 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  18. ^ Juventus.com. "Parimatch official partner of Juventus! - Juventus". Juventus.com. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  19. ^ "Parimatch scores Everton betting partnership". 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  20. ^ Flanders, Owain (2020-09-24). "Parimatch seals two-year Everton partnership". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  21. ^ "Chelsea announces partnership with Parimatch". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  22. ^ "Parimatch becomes official partner of Manchester United". 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  23. ^ Insider, Gambling (2025-07-29). "Leeds United confirms sleeve partnership with Parimatch". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  24. ^ "Man United add Parimatch as regional ad partner". Inside World Football. 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  25. ^ Miller, George (2025-07-29). "Leeds United announce new sleeve partnership with Parimatch". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  26. ^ "Parimatch and Fnatic Team Up in Global Esports Entertainment Partnership". Fnatic. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  27. ^ "Parimatch opts for joint leadership in corporate overhaul". 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  28. ^ "Ukraine: Parimatch obtains first sports betting licence". SigmaPlay. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  29. ^ "Parimatch". Archived from the original on 2025-10-08. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  30. ^ "Parimatch Among Ukrainian Companies Shuttered Over Russia Links". www.vixio.com. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  31. ^ "Чому український букмекер Parimatch потрапив під санкції РНБО на 50 років". Forbes.ua (in Ukrainian). 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  32. ^ "У Parimatch відповіли на введення проти них санкції РНБО". LIGA.net (in Ukrainian). 2023-03-11. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  33. ^ Livesey, Andrew (2024-10-02). "Parimatch's Biloruska leaves industry after 13 years, Portnov unveiled as new owner". Tribuna.com. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  34. ^ "Kateryna Biloruska steps down as co-owner of Parimatch". SigmaPlay. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  35. ^ McLoughlin, Ciaran (2024-09-30). "Katerina Biloruska sells shares in Parimatch to Sergey Portnov". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  36. ^ "Sergey Portnov to become Parimatch owner". InterGame. 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  37. ^ rostiashvili, nika (2024-10-02). "Sergey Portnov Assumes Full Control of Parimatch Following Kateryna Biloruska's Departure". SBC EURASIA EN. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  38. ^ Tundik, Zoltan (2021-04-09). "Parimatch Begins New Round of Development with the Creation of a Supervisory Board". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  39. ^ Poole, Tim (2021-04-08). "Rare twist: Liashko and Syrotian become Parimatch co-CEOs; Portnov switches to chairman". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  40. ^ O'Hagan, Marese (2021-04-08). "Parimatch introduces supervisory board, announces Liashko and Syrotian as co-CEOs". iGB. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  41. ^ Monaco, L'Officiel (2023-07-05). "The School Of The Future In The Present". L'Officiel Cyprus. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  42. ^ "SBC Awards Winners 2020". SBC Events. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  43. ^ Miller, George (2020-10-01). "VIXIO GamblingCompliance announces 2020 Global Regulatory Awards shortlist". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  44. ^ "CEO Parimatch, Sergey Portnov: Δουλεύοντας με έδρα την Κύπρο". inbusinessnews.reporter.com.cy (in Greek). Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  45. ^ Miller, George (2020-11-12). "Video: Conor McGregor speaks to Parimatch CEO Sergey Portnov at PMGO 6.0 digital event". European Gaming Industry News. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
  46. ^ "Sergei Portnov quizzes Conor McGregor - GamblingTV.com". 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
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