Little Tiger Game: How the Gambling Scam Works

[00:02] lost strength on the streets, gained popularity on the internet. Last week, the target was the "Little Tiger" game. Today you will understand the farce of

[00:18] 'm Felipe Paião, editor of Tech Mundo, and today we'll give our perspective on the farce surrounding the "Little Tiger" game and explain in detail how it works. The popularity of the "Little Tiger" game went from cell phone screens to

[00:31] newspaper headlines on December 3rd due to a report on Fantástico. The so-called Fortune Tiger, or "Little Tiger" game, is being investigated by the Paraná Civil Police for a criminal online betting scheme. The game

[00:46] promises quick and easy winnings of large sums of money through bets with the help of digital influencers such as ST Matos, Kevin Johnny, and Christian Bell. Fortune Tiger went viral on social media and caught the attention of

[01:01] Brazilian authorities. Fortune Tiger is a gambling game with a theme inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. To play it, people must register on the platform, make money deposits, and spin the reels to bet on the roulette wheel; to win the

[01:17] game... For those lucky enough to match three symbols on the paylines, three symbols on the paylines, bets range from 50 to 600 per round, according to online casino sites that offer the

[01:30] online casino sites that offer the Tiger game. Its RTP, or Return to Player, is 96.96%, indicating the probability of the player getting a return on their wagered money. Fortune Tiger was

[01:44] wagered money. Fortune Tiger was launched in 2022 by PG Soft, a foreign company that provides some of the most popular digital slot games in Brazil. Although its game system is hosted

[01:56] abroad and it has no registration or representatives in the country, it is also the follow the same logic as the Tiger game, such as Fortune Rabbit (the rabbit game), Fortune Mouse (the mouse game), Fortune Gods (the god game), and Fortune

[02:14] Ox (the ox game). Part of the Tiger game's advertising relies on the possibility of high winnings, based on a 10x multiplier like roulette and respin bonus rounds that could lead to up to 2500 times the

[02:29] return of the bet made. However, there are several reports on the internet accusing the game... Regarding the issue of not paying out accumulated winnings in roulette and players becoming addicted to gambling and losing all their savings, the director of the

[02:44] law school at UFPR, Sérgio Staut Júnior, explains the illegality committed by games like Fortune Tiger: "These games are not regulated in Brazil and are considered illegal games of chance, and

[02:59] often these games are on websites outside of Brazil. Bets, on the other hand, are regulated; there is a law that allows this type of bet where you bet on the outcome, whether it will be positive or negative for a team, or if someone scores

[03:15] a goal." Brazilian legislation has prohibited gambling in the country since 1946, under the administration of General Eurico Gaspar Dutra. Recently, this scenario has undergone some changes to differentiate games of chance from

[03:31] online sports betting. The constitution classified games of chance as games whose winnings or losses depend on luck, such as betting on horse races and any other sporting competition. With Law

[03:47] 13756 of 2018, approved by former President Temer, sports betting was reclassified as a lottery. What is allowed here in Brazil? In Brazil, Fabiano Jantalia, a specialist in gaming and

[04:01] banking law, explains that the problem is that the existing law foresaw the possibility of its exploitation but conditioned it on future regulation, which has not yet happened in our country. Like PJ

[04:15] Soft, most betting sites are based in tax havens, circumventing Brazilian legislation and hindering taxation, oversight, and the protection of gamblers' rights. According to criminal lawyer Paulo Crossara,

[04:30] this impasse causes legal uncertainty. This leads judges to analyze each case individually. "If someone bets and doesn't receive their winnings, they can take the betting company to court and demand that money," clarifies the

[04:45] specialist. Crossara also points out that sports betting sites often offer online games that are still prohibited in Brazil, such as casino blackjack and slot machines. This creates confusion among players,

[05:00] the lawyer added. He continued, commenting: "There are prison sentences foreseen, but nobody goes to jail for this nowadays. There are small claims courts, and the person pays a fine; this resolves the matter in a hearing. You pay, and that's the end of the discussion."

[05:14] As for the owners of these establishments, the justice system penalizes them in a way... "Different," he clarified, " those who go to jail are for criminal association and money laundering, not for gambling itself." He added, " Crossara clarified that one cannot

[05:29] ignore the danger to mental health that gambling represents; addiction leads to cognitive and relationship problems, in addition to financial loss. This type of addiction is even more silent than

[05:43] alcohol and drug addiction because the physical symptoms are not obvious. On social media, there are digital influencers who have become spokespeople for the 'Tigrinho' game, teaching how to play, promoting online raffles, and advertising by

[05:58] telling their stories of overcoming gambling addiction. In speeches propagated in videos and images, Fortune Tiger was a source of income for these influencers, providing a luxurious life with the right to buy

[06:13] luxury cars, jewelry, and mansions. The civil police investigation uncovered the reality behind this ostentatious lifestyle. According to the authorities of the operation, the influencers were committing an illegality by promoting the '

[06:27] Tigrinho' game on social media, acting as recruiters for the criminal scheme. In Curitiba, four influencers with approximately 1 million followers were earning up to R$ [amount missing]. From R$5,000 to R$15,000 per weekly campaign, in addition to profits

[06:42] from registering new players (R$10 to R$30 per signup), the promise of high earnings on social media caught the attention of police officers, who began to suspect a pyramid scheme online. Videos of

[06:57] influencers earning R$250 with a single click and using R$100 bills to fan themselves garnered thousands of likes and shares. The first police operation, called "Breaking the Bank," came to light in September. The Civil Police of

[07:11] Maranhão searched the home of influencer Scarlette Melo, who promoted the "Tigrinho" game on her profile and is now being investigated for promoting unauthorized gambling, organized crime, and

[07:24] money laundering. "More than R $1 million in cash was seized. We also seized at least three imported vehicles," stated the Civil Police delegate of Maranhão, Augusto Barros.

[07:38] Fifteen other influencers have already been questioned by authorities, and the case led to the creation and implementation of a law prohibiting the dissemination of such information. On November 19th, the Paraná Civil Police

[07:51] investigated four influencers from Curitiba, targeting gambling platforms in the state. Three were arrested: Eduardo Campelo Gabriel, and Ricardo Ezequiel, who was also part of the group, is a fugitive. The arrests occurred along with the seizure of cars and cash in dollars.

[08:05] It is estimated that the group moved around R$ millions of reais in 6 months. Although the trio was released on the same day, they continue to be investigated for exploitation of gambling, forming a criminal gang, and money laundering.

[08:19] Scarlett's defense declined to comment in the Fantástico report, and the lawyers for the Paraná influencers stated that their clients are innocent because they do not control the gambling platform. The controversy surrounding

[08:33] the "Tigrinho" game highlights once again the gaps in Brazilian legislation, as well as the responsibility of digital influencers in promoting such questionable practices as the scam that promises money for

[08:49] that promises money for If you want to leave your comment, Caixa is open. Also, leave a

[09:04] our work here. See you next time! A big hug, bye bye!