Fortune Tiger: Is the Tiger Game illegal in Brazil? Understand everything about the casino

For about six months, Google has been observing a surge in Brazilians’ interest in a new online game. Popularly known as “Tiger Game” or “Little Tiger Game”, innovation attracted attention due to its promise of high financial returns.

Search records for terms promoted by digital influencers and YouTubers have been around since at least 2019 and recently started increasing in March 2023. According to Google Trends, the issue reached its peak of interest in Roraima provinces last month. Acre, Alagoas and Maranhão are among those most interested.

Slot Trumps Player Behavior Report study, conducted in partnership with EveryMatrix and iGB, has revealed that Jogo do Tigre is currently the favorite on the national scene.

The survey showed that the Brazilian public’s favorite theme in these roulette games is the animal theme, and the average bet amount among the twenty main online games is 1.04 euros (about R$ 5 at the current exchange rate).

But internet searches, in addition to finding plenty of content promoting the theme, also show that the new game is involved in police investigations; This has already caused people to go into debt and possibly even cause players to die.

What is Tiger Game?

in Brazil, Jogo do Tigrinho or Jogo do Tigre is the popular version of Fortune Tiger, a special game in the online casino genre that works on smartphones and computers. Literally translated “Tigre da Fortuna”, it is offered by many different platforms, including KTO, a betting house operating nationwide.

Fortune Tiger’s official page on KTO explains that the average bet of Brazilians is R$ 1.78, the most placed bet is R$ 0.50, and the average daily bet is 75. The website also provides the following information to attract players: A reward of R$270,000 was allegedly given to one person.

According to KTO, there is great interest in the little tiger game because it is “simple, flashy, has great winning opportunities and great graphics”.

“It’s exciting to see Fortune Tiger become a sensation on TikTok,” says Valters Garais, account manager at PG Soft.

“Players are captivated by the story of the ancient emperor, his mystical golden tiger, and simple, mobile-first gameplay. “The game is inspired by the Chinese tiger zodiac sign, with a randomly activated bonus feature and the chance to win up to 2,500 times the bet,” promises Valters Garais, account manager at PG Soft, a company developing a version of the game.

Promotion on social media

Part of the interest in Tiger Game was due to: Massive promotion of content creators on the Internet. Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are full of so-called money-making tips.

A channel on YouTube called Quik Ironico has 2.4 million subscribers and has even hosted online casino lives.

In one of the videos, a young woman promises to uncover a “bug” in Fortune Tiger that offers certain profits. “This is a great earning opportunity. And do as I say,” she argues.

With more than 50 comments appearing to be made by fake profiles, many people say they were paid. “I did this and won 200 reais the first time,” one of the posts says.

The profile of the publications on other platforms is quite similar, because there are dozens of so-called references of people who have been successful in betting.

Loss of money lawsuits

Due to a more original style, You can find reports of people saying they lost money on X or anyone who knows someone who lost money on Fortune Tiger.

“I don’t really know anyone who is successful in the Tiger game or its variants,” one user said. “I bet 5 reais on the Tiger game and lost in 20 seconds,” another profile says. And these reports are multiplying.

In an interview with g1Jhenifer Blume, a makeup artist living in São Luís (MA), revealed that she lost more than R$ 400 in the casino. Adding another layer to the story, he mentions that he fell for a scam promoted by a digital influencer.

The phenomenon in question was publishing links to the game on his social networks and promising earnings to his followers. However, after complaints of loss, he deleted all posts on the subject.

still see g1Police are investigating cases of financial loss as well as possible deaths related to the casino. Delegate Pedro Adão of the Maranhão Civil Police said there are suspicions that the scheme is also a financial pyramid.

“There was a record of three suicides in Maranhão of three people who started playing these electronic games, lost large amounts of money, and eventually took their own lives,” says Pedro Adão.

“So we started investigating these digital influencers who operate on Instagram, who constantly promote these games and encourage people to play, who end up losing money. These are games to take people’s money,” the delegate emphasized.

Is Tiger Game illegal?

In an interview with TecMundoAttorney Beatriz Alaia Colin of Wilton Gomes Advogados notes: Tiger Game is illegal in Brazil. It notes that online casinos are considered games of chance where gain or loss depends solely or mostly on luck, and therefore they are not allowed.

The expert states that Both those who play and those who provide the service can be punished. According to him, Brazilian legislation provides for a prison sentence of 3 months to 1 year for anyone who “establishes or investigates gambling in a public or public place, with or without entrance payment.” There is also a provision for a fine of up to R$200,000 for anyone caught playing.

According to the lawyer, online casinos constitute a crime.

Regarding social influencers promoting the game, it adds, “Incentive, instigation or assistance provided to a person to commit this crime may constitute participation in the crime punishable under Article 29 of the Criminal Code.”

Colin also notes that lawsuits involving companies in other countries, such as KTO, are not uncommon precisely because of the ban on Brazilian jurisdiction. Being in countries where the practice is permitted makes companies practically “unreachable” by the Brazilian judiciary.

The lawyer also advocates legalizing casinos; According to him, this will be the best way to prevent people from falling for gambling scams. He recalls that the law banning this type of entertainment dates back to the Getúlio Vargas dictatorship, and argues that this practice is no longer “harmful enough”.

“Only legalizing and regulating gambling would allow, for example, to create barriers to restrict minors from the age of 18, as well as to force the platforms that make them available to create terms of use to define the chances of success and loss. old people can bet,” he explains.

Other side

KTO

Although it operates in Brazil, KTO only provides registration numbers on Curaçao, a Dutch island in the Caribbean. HE TecMundo contacted the company to clarify whether it was officially registered in the local area and accusations that Jogo do Tigre was a pyramid. However, by the close of the article, the company did not respond to a request for a response.

Aim

The report contacted Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, and Meta responded by saying it would not comment on the matter.

YouTube

in contact with TecMundoYouTube responded that videos promoting Tiger Game “are being reviewed by our review team.” According to the platform, spam videos, scams, and misleading practices that “harm the community” are not allowed. In terms of scams, these include schemes that encourage users to win cash gifts, rich schemes or financial pyramids.

In its statement, Google also emphasized that it does not allow videos, descriptions, comments and live broadcasts that aim to “encourage” people to use other websites.

“YouTube encourages any users who encounter questionable content on the platform to use our flagging feature to notify us that the video should be reviewed. Our team will then review the content to see if it is inappropriate or violates our community guidelines. We also encourage creators to analyze or remove comments they find offensive we have tools and filters,” the company states.

tiktok

TikTok has also been asked if content promoted on the networks violates any kind of usage rules, but has not yet been contacted.

Suicide prevention

The Center for the Evaluation of Life (CVV) is an organization founded in 1962 that provides voluntary and free emotional support and suicide prevention services to anyone who wants and needs to talk.

To get in touch, call 188 (open 24 hours a day), email the organization (apoioemocional@cvv.org.br) or chat via online chat on the website https://www.cvv .org.br. . The chat operates Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Brasília time); Between 15:00 and 01:00 on Fridays; On Saturdays between 14.00 and 01.00, and on Sundays between 17.00 and 01.00.

CVV volunteers are trained to talk to people seeking help and emotional support, and all conversations are conducted in complete confidentiality and anonymity.