Mahadev betting syndicate resurfaces with new avatars, deepfake tactics
Mahadev betting syndicate banned by the central government in November 2023, have resurfaced in new avatars and are continuing to operate with different internet addresses, multiple gaming analysts told ET.
These proxy websites have resurfaced with new betting games under different labels. The banned URL Parimatch has become pari-match-bet.in, Lotus365 is now lotus365.co while Fairplay has become fair-play.com.in or fairplay24.in.
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Offering CollegeCourseWebsiteIIT DelhiIITD Certificate Programme in Data Science & Machine LearningVisitIIM LucknowIIML Executive Programme in FinTech, Banking & Applied Risk ManagementVisitIndian School of BusinessISB Professional Certificate in Product ManagementVisitAn official post on the Fairplay Instagram account states, “Our domain has changed. Fairplay.in changed into Fairplay24.in. ID Password will be same.” Another banned app 1XBet is now india-1Xbet.in or 1Xbatsporting.com.
“The government’s ban has hardly moved the needle for these website operators,” said Prateek Tiwari, a real-money gaming analyst. “It was just a matter of days after the ban that some 20 new URLs surfaced and continued to operate the nexus,” he added.
The games are also being heavily promoted through advertisements on social media platforms including Instagram, YouTube and X through first-person narratives by people who purportedly have gained fabulous returns by betting on these games.
In games such as ‘Skyward Aviator Quest’, new gamers can start with a bet value of `10 and earn a maximum of `8 lakh.
The game also gained dubious distinction when it was recently promoted in a deepfake video featuring Sachin Tendulkar.
Tiwari pointed to some new
