The article considers interdisciplinary problem of victimization of foreign citizens in conditions of operation of illegal gambling segment in the Russian Federation. The author analyzes specific determinants that promote the involvement of migrants in shadow economic relations, and justifies the need to differentiate their procedural status according to the presence of signs of labour exploitation. The paper proposes an author’s approach to the transformation of state prevention measures, based on the concept of victimological protection as a tool for decriminalization of gambling.