Scammy Strategies and Empty Promises – The Truth behind iGaming Groups on Telegram Brazil

This post is also available in: Brazil

With the increasing popularity of online casino games, driven by widespread internet access, a peculiar phenomenon has emerged in Brazil – the quest for ways to make quick money through online gaming.

In a country where the passion for entertainment and the pursuit of financial gains often intertwine, it’s no surprise that more and more people are drawn to the promise of quick wins and easy profits made online. And ever since real-money gaming was legalized, some online ads and claims have become incredibly loud and bold, to the point of being questionable.

What We Want to Find Out

Our team is used to working with data. In this case, by checking SEO tools, we noticed the high search volumes of terms like “best time to play Fortune Tiger (today).” These recent trends reveal the players’ eagerness to find competitive advantages in casino games.

However, it is also important to explore the intangible reality of online communication – channels, groups, message boards – and test their reliability against the hard facts.

In the current context of Brazilian real-money gaming, various strategies have emerged on the internet, promising the coveted success in casino games. Among other social media channels, Telegram groups stand out, as many have the reputation of spaces for sharing “secret strategies” to achieve consistent wins. These groups promise not only guidance but also access to exclusive techniques and privileged information that supposedly can lead players to big gains.

However, behind these promises of easy wealth lies a complex network of commercial interests with dubious legality. In more pragmatic terms, there are many obvious questions about the real effectiveness of these strategies. We will try to find the answers to those uncomfortable questions.

The True Face of Telegram Groups

In early 2024, an estimated 63% of smartphones in Brazil have Telegram installed. Such impressive popularity has made the Telegram app a powerful marketing tool – mostly through user groups and channels that allow creative, dynamic communication with multi-media compatibility.

When the topic is iGaming, this trend is no different, with a growing number of channels dedicated to online casino games. They promise to deliver profitable strategies to members through live streams and the sending of “signals” indicating the best times and ways to play a particular game or at a particular website.

Finding iGaming groups on Telegram is simple, either through direct search in the app or through links on social media (Instagram, YouTube and TikTok), promoted by influencers or shared by common users.

Unlike influencers on social media who promote a variety of products besides casino games, owners of Telegram groups present themselves as professional players claiming to live off gaming profits.

The Affiliate Marketing Scheme – Profits Before Players

The most influential groups have over 100,000 subscribers, sending several messages daily. They are usually linked to partner casinos, claiming that their strategies are only effective on recommended sites. Upon joining the group, users are asked to register using a specific group link (affiliate code), with some offering bonuses or minimum deposit conditions.

Example of a message for new subscribers to register on the platform using the link

Essentially, the group administrator is an affiliate of a casino, profiting from each new registration made through their link. This is known as CPA (cost per acquisition).

There is also the RevShare model, where the casino shares a percentage of the profits generated by players recruited by the affiliate. This model incentivizes group administrators to keep players actively betting to generate continuous revenue.

Some casinos even provide a “marketing kit” to their affiliates, allowing the creation of Telegram groups with promotional strategies, including a signals app and a marketing account for video production without the need for a real deposit.

The Questionable Trustworthiness of Promoted Casinos

Many casinos featured in these Telegram groups are newcomers to the market and not widely recognized, frequently operating without proper licenses, which exposes users to significant risks. Their often questionable user support further raises legitimate concerns regarding their reliability, especially when compared to well-known iGaming platforms in Brazil.

It is essential to highlight the potentially misleading nature of these “scammy casinos“, underscoring the caution needed when engaging with them.

Breaking Down Scammy Telegram iGaming Content

When it comes to actual iGaming content, Telegram groups vary considerably in their approach. A common practice is sending “signals,” indicating the optimal time to play a particular game, or following specific strategies.

An intriguing twist in this scenario is the use of bots, automated apps that perform actions (scripts) within the platform (i.e., Telegram or Instagram).

Some of these bots are specially designed to appear to be able to predict outcomes in sports betting or analyze casino games like slots. However, the truth is that these are programmed to simulate game pattern analysis through script execution, or by sending out “signals,” thus creating an illusion of precision and analysis. In reality, what happens is the generation of random messages that undergo no actual analytical process.

These signals are extensively propagated on Telegram, often being touted as highly accurate.

Example of signal from the Fortune Tiger and Aviator bot on Telegram

While some groups rely on bot technology to enhance their strategies, others claim to base their approaches solely on human analysis. In this context, prominent influencers in the gaming world host live broadcasts, engaging in the games themselves. During these digital gatherings, games such as Aviator and live roulette become central.

Taking Aviator as an example, it’s notable how, during the livestreams, influencers attempt to project an image of deep understanding of the game, suggesting the existence of predictable patterns. However, this often boils down to a process of trial and error. By playing until a significantly high multiplier randomly appears, they use this outcome to justify all previous losses. This method conveys the illusion of substantial profits, although many rounds result in losses.

A commonly suggested tactic following a defeat is the Martingale strategy, which advises doubling the bet after each loss in hopes of recovering preceding losses and achieving a profit equal to the initial bet upon the first win. This strategy carries a high level of risk, requiring substantial capital to overcome a string of losses, and the inability to cover previous unsuccessful bets can lead to devastating losses. This old roulette strategy, while permitted in online casinos, proves ineffective in practice.

During these live sessions, it is not uncommon for hosts to make high stakes bets, creating the impression of significant wins. However, the authenticity of these bets is questionable. As noted in previously discussed “marketing kit” strategies, affiliates might be using demo accounts, which do not reflect the true financial impact of the bets.

An example of a big win in a round of live roulette

Strategic Maneuvers for Attracting New Followers

Social media represents the most effective channel for attracting new subscribers to Telegram channels focused on casino games. On Instagram, it is common to find profiles that use carefully curated and sponsored posts to project an image of financial success, encouraging followers to participate in games in hopes of achieving similar results.

Gaming-focused YouTubers also contribute significantly to this ecosystem, producing content that showcases spectacular wins in casino games. These videos often include links to Telegram groups and casino platforms, aiming to attract new players and monetize affiliations.

A common tactic is offering a free group on Telegram, which serves as an entry point for signals and basic strategies. In parallel, there is the option to join a VIP group, which promises more signals, exclusive live streams, game credit giveaways and other premium content. VIP group fees vary but average between R$20 and R$100, representing another source of income for administrators.

Giveaways serve as an additional lure, promising prizes such as cash credits (via PIX) and smartphones. To participate, followers usually need to meet certain conditions, such as inviting friends to the group or making minimum deposits at partner casinos.

Examples of messages with announcements of giveaways, through minimum deposit and by referring friends.

The lack of transparency regarding the outcomes of these giveaways raises questions, as most groups fail to disclose the results of the raffles afterward.

In an attempt to bolster their credibility, some groups post screenshots of alleged winners receiving payments via PIX. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether these transactions are genuine or merely another marketing ploy to attract more casino registrations.

The groups post messages with payment receipts via PIX for the alleged winners of the giveaways as a marketing strategy.

In addition to the mentioned strategies, some groups promote the sale of dedicated apps to provide signals, already integrated with partner casinos. This approach represents another link in the monetization chain of these groups, highlighting the wide range of tactics employed to profit from the growing popularity of iGaming.

In one of the applications advertised by these groups, they illegally leverage the logo of a well-respected iGaming news portal in Brazil as a means to convey credibility. This is misleading because iGaming Brazil has no connection with the casino in question and is not engaged in these types of fraudulent schemes.

The Fragile Reputation of Casino Groups on Social Media

Some Telegram groups linked to iGaming try to build credibility by posting screenshots of subscribers who allegedly followed their strategies and achieved positive results. However, the authenticity and spontaneity of these testimonials are not real, since the alleged strategies are ineffective. This represents another instance of creating illusions to convince subscribers to play.

Fake testimonials from players who claimed to have had success with the groups’ strategies

Assessing the reputation of these groups is particularly difficult due to the closed nature of the channels, where only administrators can post messages, preventing any direct feedback from subscribers.

In more extreme cases, the identities of the group owners remain anonymous, increasing opacity and making accountability difficult. Additionally, on social media, there is a practice of removing negative comments, leaving only the ones offering praise visible, clearly distorting the public perception of the groups’ reliability.

To counteract this lack of transparency and potential fraudulent practices, Telegram groups dedicated to reporting such activities have emerged. In these groups, suspicious casinos are exposed, allowing users to share their experiences and interact through comments. There are also groups focused on denouncing influencers who promote such platforms and are involved in fraud schemes.

These denouncement channels represent a community effort to improve safety and transparency in the iGaming ecosystem, providing a platform for critical voices and negative experiences that might otherwise be silenced or ignored.

The Legality of Practices in Telegram Groups

Law No. 14,790 is a significant milestone aimed at regulating iGaming activities in Brazil, with a strong focus on consumer protection and combating fraudulent practices.

The law imposes requirements for the operation of betting platforms, including the need for authorization from the Ministry of Finance and adherence to integrity and responsible gaming policies. Legislators have sought to address concerns related to the credibility of online casinos and the transparency of social media channels, including “signals” groups on Telegram.

The new regulation may significantly impact the activities of these groups, especially those that may be considered fraudulent or misleading. By establishing stringent regulations for the operation of betting platforms, with an emphasis on consumer protection and game integrity, this legislation could lead to the criminalization of practices that do not meet these standards.

Groups that promote unproven strategies, operate without transparency, or are linked to unlicensed casinos may not comply with these requirements, potentially characterizing their activities as illegal under this new legislation. The law highlights the importance of transparency, responsible gaming and protection against fraud, aspects that may be violated.

Deceitful Strategies Shared in Casino Groups

Many wonder about the real effectiveness of strategies promoted by Telegram groups dedicated to iGaming. To clarify this issue, we carried out a practical investigation, accessing and testing the strategies suggested in several of these groups to prove that they are ineffective and misleading.

In their communications, the groups invariably assert that their strategies guarantee success, suggesting that following their signals ensures victory. Were this claim accurate, defeats would be non-existent. Yet, our tests reveal the exact opposite, demonstrating the utter ineffectiveness of these strategies.

In roulette-focused groups, signals are often posted and even live streams showing the game are provided.

Example of a strategy applied in live roulette games

A significant portion of the roulette group’s strategies involves betting on two dozens and the zero, specific to European roulette. Logically, betting on dozens instead of a single number, for example, would increase your chances of some winnings in roulette; it’s a matter of simple logic. Yet, contrary to what the “roulette gurus” propagate in their groups, there is no guarantee that you will win or make profits even when following these strategies.

We conducted two types of tests: first, by following advice from the group and adhering precisely to all instructions (entering the announced round and betting as posted in the group). And then, by playing without using the group’s tips, we relied solely on luck and intuition.

Round lost following Telegram group signals

As expected, we experienced both losses and gains in both tests. If the signals were accurate, there would be no failures, and the outcomes of the two tests would not be similar. This demonstrates that success in betting largely depends on luck and not on a specific moment or play, as the groups assure.

In the event of a loss, the groups always advise employing the Martingale strategy to attempt to recover the losses, which, if unsuccessful, can lead to even greater losses. This is yet another indication that the groups’ signals are flawed and do not guarantee the winnings as promised.

It’s important to understand that while there are recognized betting strategies, these techniques only provide more effective short-term risk management and do not alter the casino’s mathematical advantage over the player in the long run. The odds of each bet are fixed and determined by roulette rules and the game mechanics themselves, indicating that specific strategies can only offer temporary balance management or an illusion of control, but do not guarantee long-term earnings.

In tests with specific bots for the Aviator game, we followed the group’s signals indicating when to play and make bets on low multipliers, usually at 1.5x. Betting on low multipliers is already proof that the bot does not work because, again, by logical reasoning, betting at 1.5x will have a higher chance of showing a win than betting on a high multiplier like 30x. If the bot could truly predict outcomes, it would know when a round would have a high multiplier and would send signals to bet on it.

The accuracy of these signals was very low, and once again, it is advised to resort to the Martingale strategy to try to compensate for the lost rounds. If it worked, the potential gains obtained with multipliers of 1.5x or 2.0x would not be significantly compensatory due to the low values won.

Example of a strategy applied in the Aviator game

In the group’s daily scoreboard, many of the “greens” were concealed by numerous attempts (martingale) until a victory was achieved, giving the false impression of the bot’s accuracy when it merely generates random signals without any real analysis.

Conversely, influencers managing Aviator groups and hosting live streams don’t utilize bots or distribute predetermined signals to their audience. Observing several of these live streams, we noted that despite claims of analyzing game patterns, there’s no indication these patterns truly exist, evidenced by their losses in rounds.

If there truly was a method to “break the house,” as they frequently claim, they would consistently win and exclusively wager on rounds with higher multipliers.Moreover, what would their interest be in having their followers consistently beat the casino to which they are affiliates? The numbers don’t add up, given our understanding of affiliate revenue models.

Copying the live hosts’ actions clearly illustrates that wins depend on hitting high multipliers to make up for losses, proving the absence of any real analytical strategy. This method cannot reliably ensure winnings, further debunking the influencers’ marketed narratives.

Additionally, a striking aspect of these live sessions is their strategy to shield themselves from potential loss complaints; they invariably blame the players, suggesting that losses result from the player’s failure to stop at the right time or manage their emotions. This tactic evidently seeks to discharge their accountability after numerous unfulfilled promises that lead to disappointment.

As seen in a previous article we did on crash games, the Aviator game has fixed odds, just like sports bets, and is based on random events. Once again, it’s a matter of luck and mainly knowing when to stop playing (i.e., cash out).

Continuing our investigation into the strategies disclosed in Telegram groups, we turned our attention to slot games, which, according to our tests, proved to be the most deceptive in terms of promises of winnings.

Following the bot’s strategy only generated losses

Contrary to widely disseminated claims on the internet, tests with signals provided by various groups – indicating the best time to play and the appropriate number of spins – did not result in success as promised. This finding confirms the suspicion that the promoted techniques are entirely fake and scammy.

Strategy for profitable times posted in groups

Similarly, the previously mentioned signal apps also failed to demonstrate any practical usefulness. Following the strategies recommended by these apps did not yield the promised results, reinforcing the perception of their inefficacy.

Since the signals are embedded directly on the casino’s website, it makes no sense for the casino to provide strategies that would allow players to consistently profit against it. This unlicensed casino employs the app purely as a means to mislead players and motivate them to gamble more.

Bot app. The signals are sent within the casino page

It’s essential to understand that the foundation of slot games is randomness, ensured by the use of Random Number Generators (RNGs). These systems ensure that each game round is completely independent of previous ones, making the results unpredictable and determined solely by chance. The independence of each spin means that there are no patterns to follow or external manipulations that can influence the results.

Beyond the randomness provided by RNGs, the SPRIBE games also benefit from “Provably Fair” technology. This adds an extra layer of fairness, allowing players to verify each game’s outcome independently.

By using a combination of server and player-generated seeds, it ensures that game results are both random and secure from manipulation. This technology, along with RNG certification, reinforces the fact that slot game outcomes are purely by chance, making any claims of guaranteed wins baseless.

To confirm the randomness and fairness of slot games, they undergo rigorous testing before being made available to the public. Regulators usually delegate this task to testing laboratories which conduct detailed evaluations of RNG operation. These analyses ensure that the generated numbers are truly random and unpredictable. Games that pass these assessments receive compliance certifications, such as the Fortune Tiger game from PG Soft, demonstrating its fairness and randomness.

The results of these tests and evaluations make it clear that slot games operate with total randomness, without any possibility of prediction or influence based on specific times. Promises of guaranteed wins at certain times are, therefore, unfounded and devoid of any scientific or legitimate technical basis.

Final Thoughts

Having examined in-depth the panorama of casino gaming groups on Telegram, it becomes evident that the app plays a significant role as a marketing and sales tool. The influencers who have emerged in this niche promote an image of financial success derived exclusively from games – displaying material possessions and flaunting a luxurious lifestyle – only to convince their followers to play at various iGaming platforms.

However, our hands-on analysis reveals that the true source of income for these influencers bears no relation to the profits from the games. Instead, they profit significantly through social media monetizationaffiliation with casinos through programs like CPA and RevShare and the marketing of paid VIP channels, group courses and mentorship.

Additionally, it’s concerning to observe the existence of irresponsible and misleading content aimed at attracting people to platforms with questionable reputation. These practices jeopardize the safety and integrity of players, exposing them to potential fraud and manipulation.

It’s essential for players to understand that there is no guaranteed magic formula for winning and promises of easy and consistent profits should be met with skepticism. The reality is that despite the strategies and techniques promoted by Telegram groups and influencers, the outcome of casino games is determined by randomness and clearly established odds.

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