Online betting trend up amid World Cup

 Kathmandu, Dec. 15: Google Trends, a website by Google that uses graphs on a scale from 0-100 to compare the search volume of different queries over time, shows that the interest rate for “1xbet”, an online betting platform launched in 2007, in the internet was the highest in Nepal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

While the rate was 33 during November 13-19, it reached 100 during the week of November 20-26 after the World Cup kicked off on November 20.

While people used to bet through local bookmakers or among individuals until the previous world cups, Nepal Police officers informed that the technology has led people to bet online in a more convenient manner.

The report from Google Trends shows that the interest of Nepalis on 1xbet during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, held from June 14 to July 15, was almost nil.

Now, 1xbet is synonymous with online betting. While Nepal criminalises gambling and betting, the number of 1xbet users across the country is significant. 

When this reporter visited some pubs and clubs in Thamel during different games of the ongoing World Cup, many had the application of 1xbet opened in their smartphones to bet as they watched the games. 

“Since people can bet easily online, the number of gamblers has increased in Nepal. Moreover, teenagers and youths are addicted to it. While people mostly bet on sports like football or cricket in Nepal, the trend of online betting has increased during the football world cup,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishna Prasad Koirala.

SP Koirala, who is also the spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office (KVCIO), informed that they have arrested three online gamblers between December 10-12 from different parts of the Kathmandu Valley.

The KVCIO arrested Pawan Kumar Sharma, a 32-year-old man from Rajasthan, India, on December 10, and Rudra Prasad Pokhrel, a 37-year-old from Palpa district, on December 11.

Indian nationals have been found to be actively involved in organising illegal betting in Nepal. On November 18, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) had arrested a total of 44 Indian nationals from the Tribhuvan University cricket ground during Nepal-UAE game while organising betting from the stadium itself.

Meanwhile, Nepal Police officers stressed that effective awareness needs to be provided across the country since teenagers have also been involved in illegal betting.

On December 12, the KVCIO arrested 20-year-old Adarsh Thakur, a resident of Mahottari, from Ward No. 2 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City. Thakur was arrested after the KVCIO used the advertisements of 1xbet in social media.

“We came across Thakur after investigating Facebook groups advertising on online betting. He was working as an agent for 1xbet. In the past eight months, he has made transactions of over Rs. 20 million from 485 different digital wallets through three bank accounts,” said SP Koirala.

Police also confiscated 94 SIM cards and photocopies of 70 different citizenships from Thakur’s room. 

“During investigation, Thakur informed that he used to buy a citizenship photocopy for Rs. 300 from an individual. We have handed over Thakur to Lalitpur Police. They will also be searching for the person who sold citizenships to Thakur,” said SP Koirala.

Nepal Police officers argued that the country should enact a separate “cyber law” with proper provisions against increasing cybercrimes and online betting sector.

“A 20-year-old boy has made millions worth of transactions by working as an agent. We can imagine how much money is being spend on gambling sites. It has also led to other financial crimes like ‘hundi’,” said SP Koirala.

Since the platform is illegal in Nepal, direct transactions to 1xbet are difficult. Bets cannot be placed through the site without depositing money in the website’s profile. 

Thus, Nepalis are working as middlemen for the transactions between Nepali players and 1xbet operators abroad.