X sues company behind Duel over alleged bribery and account recoveries

X Corp. filed a lawsuit on 28 September 2026 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas against Immortal Snail LLC, the Nevis-registered entity that operates Duel Casino, alleging that its founder Ossi Ketola and associates attempted to bribe platform employees to restore frozen accounts. According to the complaint, an employee was offered $300,000; X attributes purchases of usernames totalling $480,000 to Immortal Snail in connection with attempts to recover hijacked accounts.

## What X alleges in the lawsuit against Duel and why it matters

X traces the dispute to March 2024, when the username @duel was allegedly hijacked. The company says it froze that account two days later after detecting the appropriation. The complaint further alleges that Ossi Ketola and third parties connected to Immortal Snail attempted, via intermediaries, to return control of the account to the founder.

The complaint contains specific allegations:

• - an offer of $300,000 to a named employee to facilitate the return of @duel;

• - the leaking by an employee of internal data from the @duel account in June 2024;

• - the later involvement of a subcontractor who assisted in the unauthorized restoration of the account; that subcontractor and the implicated employee were fired by X;

• - a parallel case involving the @monarch username in which an employee allegedly received $1,500 in exchange for internal information.

X alleges that Immortal Snail officially purchased the usernames @Duel, @Monarch and @Castle through an intermediary, paying $300,000, $80,000 and $100,000 respectively, without disclosing their prior connection to the frozen and allegedly hijacked accounts.

## Timeline and claims of account manipulation

X says that in October 2025 it froze accounts related to Duel and Ketola after detecting “serious violations” of rules, including practices to circumvent usage limits. The platform subsequently says it received letters appearing to come from a U.S. law firm demanding the return of the frozen accounts.

The company alleges that beyond the bribery attempts there was a sustained effort to influence moderation and account recovery through employees and contractors, and that these were not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy. X identifies a series of accounts and events that, in its account, form part of that pattern.

## Additional allegations: targets and tactics attributed to Ketola and associates

The complaint links Ketola and third parties connected to Immortal Snail to incidents beyond Duel. Allegations include attempts to interfere with competitor and critic accounts. X references connections to the appropriation of accounts on the site CSGORoll and the takeover of an account belonging to a former CSGOEmpire employee.

The filing also names the account @JNSAST, which X describes as an alleged “attack group” targeting Ketola’s critics; X attributes harassment, doxxing and threats of violence to that account. The complaint further alleges that individuals linked to Ketola made false reports aimed at shutting down critics’ accounts.

## The legal front: arbitration versus the federal court in Texas

Immortal Snail previously initiated an arbitration claim in April 2026 with the American Arbitration Association seeking the return of @duel, @monarch and @castle. X is now asking the federal court in Texas to stay that arbitration and take jurisdiction of the case, arguing that the contracts between the parties do not contain a valid arbitration clause.

The arbitrator has indicated it may have jurisdiction over the dispute. The court must decide whether the arbitration can proceed or whether the litigation should be heard in the federal court for the Northern District of Texas.

## Practical implications for crypto operators and platform moderation

The case concentrates several operational risks for crypto-focused operators: account identity control, access management after hijackings, and exposure to internal influence attempts. Companies affected by account and compliance issues will need to pay closer attention to username custody chains and contractor and employee management.

For teams responsible for moderation and account control, the complaint maps likely failure points: internal leaks, coordination with intermediaries and purchases of usernames without transparency about provenance. Service providers and platforms should review internal controls and third-party contracts.

## What happens next and the parties' public positions

To date Immortal Snail has not issued a public statement responding to the allegations in the complaint. X maintains that the evidence points to a coordinated campaign to manipulate moderation and recover accounts through bribery and opaque purchases. The court will first decide whether to halt the arbitration and then how to proceed with discovery and hearings.

The procedural outcome will determine whether X’s claims are admitted for adjudication in the federal court in Texas and, ultimately, whether the accusations against Ossi Ketola and Immortal Snail associates can be proven in court.

"The complaint seeks to stop the arbitration and bring the dispute to a court where, X says, these claims should be resolved," the Texas filing states.

Reported sources on the case include coverage by iGaming Republic, Casinos.org and Casino.org, which have reported on the filing and the background allegations cited by X.