Review

The purpose of the article is a comprehensive forensic analysis of the features of the initial stage of pre-trial investigation of illegal activities in the field of organizing or conducting gambling, aimed at establishing forensic patterns of the emergence, accumulation, recording and use of primary information about the crime, as well as at the formation of optimal methodological approaches to documenting the trace picture of this type of illegal activity. The article reveals the specifics of the sources of primary information, among which the statements and reports of citizens, data from operational and investigative activities, the results of independent detection of the offense by law enforcement agencies, as well as electronic data and digital traces inherent in modern online gambling, dominate. Particular attention is paid to the forensic significance of methods of masking illegal gambling establishments, the use of specialized software, technical means of remote access, server infrastructure, as well as payment services that allow organizers to hide the real volume of activity and complicate the extraction of relevant evidence at the initial stage of the investigation. The content of the subject of evidence in cases of this category is analyzed, which includes establishing the method of committing the crime, the structure and roles of participants in organized groups, the mechanism of functioning of gambling platforms and the nature of material, electronic and logical traces that require immediate search and fixation. Key problems associated with the high latency of the illegal gambling business, the mobility of its technical elements, the transnationality of the online infrastructure, as well as the complexity of localizing the place of commission of the offense in the digital environment are outlined. Based on the results obtained, forensic recommendations are formulated to optimize the tactics of initial investigative actions, increase the efficiency of legalization of operational information, and ensure proper documentation of the structure and mechanism of functioning of illegal gambling services. The proposed provisions are of great importance for improving the methodology of investigation of this type of crime and can be used in further scientific research and practical activities of pre-trial investigation bodies.