X sues Immortal Snail over Duel casino bribe and account takeover claims

X Corp. filed a federal lawsuit on 28 September 2026 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging that Immortal Snail LLC, the Nevis-registered company behind Duel casino, and its founder Ossi Ketola attempted to bribe X employees to recover frozen user accounts. The complaint claims one X employee was offered $300,000 and that Immortal Snail paid a total of $480,000 for three X usernames: $300,000 for @Duel, $80,000 for @Monarch and $100,000 for @Castle.

Duel casino bribe allegations: X's core claims

X says the dispute traces back to March 2024, when the @duel account was allegedly taken over. X froze the account two days after detecting the takeover. According to the complaint, Ossi Ketola and Immortal Snail then used intermediaries to try to restore control of the frozen account.

The suit accuses one X employee of providing internal information about the @duel account in June 2024. X asserts a separate subcontractor later assisted with an unauthorised restoration of that account; both individuals were fired. The complaint describes a similar sequence involving the @monarch account, where an X employee allegedly received $1,500 in exchange for internal information.

X alleges that Immortal Snail ultimately acquired the three usernames officially through a third party but did not disclose the prior connection between those accounts and the earlier frozen or compromised accounts. X states the aggregate purchase price was $480,000: $300,000 for @Duel, $80,000 for @Monarch and $100,000 for @Castle.

How X links account actions to Ketola and Duel’s operations

Immortal Snail LLC operates Duel and is registered in Nevis, a Caribbean island that is part of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. X ties Ketola and entities associated with him to a broader campaign it says influenced moderation and account oversight on the platform. The complaint connects those actors to other alleged account takeovers involving CSGORoll and to the account of a former CSGOEmpire employee.

X also identifies the @JNSAST account as operating as what it describes as an assault group against Ketola’s critics; the claims include harassment, doxxing and threats of violence. The complaint additionally alleges that parties close to Ketola used fabricated complaints to try to close critics’ accounts.

X Corp lawsuit over arbitration and venue

Immortal Snail moved the dispute into arbitration in April 2026 by filing a claim with the American Arbitration Association seeking the return of the @duel, @monarch and @castle usernames. X has asked the Northern District of Texas federal court to enjoin that arbitration while the court decides whether the dispute belongs in arbitration at all.

X argues its contracts with Immortal Snail do not contain an arbitration clause and that the proper forum for the dispute is the federal court in Texas. The arbitration panel has said it believes it has authority to decide whether the case falls within its jurisdiction. X now asks the court to stay the arbitration until the court resolves arbitrability.

Timeline of key events and alleged payments

• March 2024: X says @duel account was taken over and subsequently frozen two days later.

• June 2024: X alleges one employee provided internal information about @duel; a subcontractor later assisted in restoring the account. Both were dismissed.

• 2025 (October): X froze accounts tied to Duel and Ossi Ketola after finding serious rule breaches, including alleged circumvention of usage limits.

• April 2026: Immortal Snail filed an arbitration claim with the American Arbitration Association seeking return of usernames.

• 28 September 2026: X filed suit in the Northern District of Texas seeking to enjoin arbitration and asserting claims including attempted bribery and concerted efforts to manipulate platform moderation.

X's complaint alleges the username purchases were completed through intermediaries and that Immortal Snail did not disclose the prior frozen or hijacked status of the accounts at the time of purchase.

Where the case stands and what to watch next

The court must decide whether to block the arbitration and hear the dispute in federal court. X is asking for a court order to halt arbitration while the judge determines arbitrability. Immortal Snail has not made a public response to the lawsuit as of the filing referenced in X's complaint.

X emphasises that the allegations are its claims and have not been proven in court. The company notes that Ossi Ketola previously asserted publicly in 2025 that others had paid X employees to close his accounts; X says the complaint shows the opposite picture, alleging Ketola and Immortal Snail sought to influence X employees and circumvent content and account controls.

Implications for operators and platform moderation

For platform operators and service providers, the dispute highlights two intersecting risks: account security and third-party acquisition of usernames that have previously been frozen or compromised. The complaint alleges direct attempts to suborn platform staff and use intermediaries to regain control of accounts after a platform-imposed freeze.

Operators should monitor the court’s decision on arbitrability because its outcome will shape whether disputes of this type are resolved in public court records or through private arbitration. The case also underlines the operational importance of clear contractual language on dispute resolution and the provenance of account transfers.

For coverage of regulatory and legal developments that affect platform operations, see our reporting on regulation and related industry news. Vendors negotiating agreements with platform operators may find the arbitration and venue issues in this case relevant to commercial contracting; consult our b2b section for deal-focused analysis.