Illegal Betting Site Misuses Khalti Name, Promoted by Influencers

Kathmandu: An illegal betting site has been found operating in Nepal by misusing the name of the digital wallet Khalti. The banned betting platform has been luring people with promises of earning lakhs of rupees from home.

Speaking to TechPana, Khalti’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Binay Khadka confirmed that the company’s name has been misused. “This is a fraudulent business operating under our name. We will take legal action after understanding the matter in detail,” Khadka said.

The betting site has been promoted by YouTuber Bibhajang Thapa, popularly known as MRB Vlog. After he featured it in his content, the clips were boosted on social media to attract Nepali users.

In his videos, Thapa claimed users could play live games from home, withdraw any amount, and trust the platform since “customer representatives” were available. He even demonstrated its use on his phone. Although these ads no longer appear in his recent content, older clips promoting the betting site have been widely circulated online, garnering millions of views.

It appears that not only MRB Vlog but also several TikTok users have promoted the platform. TikTok creator and model Anu Pariyar was seen wearing a T-shirt with the “Khalti88” logo in a viral video, urging her followers to join what she called “Nepal’s No. 1 platform.”

Similarly, Nepali YouTuber Sizzle Tamang (Urj Zerox FF), who creates content in Hindi, has also promoted Khalti88, assuring viewers they could “earn millions from home,” similar to other YouTubers and influencers.

The website’s footer describes it as a “casino platform” designed for the Nepali gaming community and falsely claims to hold a legal license in Nepal. However, online casinos and betting platforms are completely illegal in Nepal, and there is no system for licensing such operations.

The platform mentions that deposits can be made through Khalti, eSewa, or bank transfers. Bank accounts belonging to various Nepali individuals appear during the payment process. This group also seems to be running another betting platform named IME88, using the IME brand name, and is possibly linked to other platforms such as Jai Baji. These sites are also being promoted by other YouTubers.

Earlier, TechPana had reported on vloggers and YouTubers openly promoting illegal gambling and betting platforms in Nepal. The report identified Rajkumar Thapa and Sandesh Tamang (Tubey Gamer) as promoters of such content.

Gambling and betting are completely banned under Nepali law. Article 125 of the Criminal Code, 2074 BS, explicitly prohibits all forms of gambling and betting.

According to Sub-section (2)(a) of the same article, first-time offenders face up to three months in prison or a fine of up to Rs 30,000. Sub-section (2)(b) states that repeat offenders face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000, with an additional three months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for each subsequent offense.

Speaking to TechPana on the issue, AIG Dr. Manoj KC said an investigation is underway. “We are collecting information and tracing the connections. It seems to be widespread. An internal investigation is ongoing to control it,” AIG KC said.

 

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