Gambling risks target minors in mobile gaming networks, tracing a case from Moscow
A report from Moscow describes how a 14-year-old boy named Roman became entangled with fraudsters who siphoned off about 2.5 million rubles. The funds were spent on bets within the popular mobile title Brawl Stars, a detail highlighted by a Telegram channel that monitors such incidents.
Officials point to Roman’s use of Telegram as his main source for learning how to place bets on eSports games tied to Brawl Stars. In a troubling sequence, the boy first took 1.8 million rubles from his mother to fund these bets, followed by an additional 400 thousand rubles. The money moved through a QIWI wallet, a widely used e-wallet service in Russia, before reaching the hands of the attackers.
Witnesses describe how Roman pursued aggressive gambling with the hope of a big win that would cover the losses. He did not seek permission and believed that a rapid payout would come with time, perhaps with a small return on the debt. The reporting channel SHOT notes that the child acted under the impression that luck would eventually favor him and that debts could be settled with a successful gamble.
According to the channel, police are watching the chat in the messaging app where minors are being nudged toward placing bets. The case highlights a worrying pattern: underage users being groomed for gambling through informal networks and social channels that often slip past conventional safeguards.
Brawl Stars is an online mobile game available for Android and iOS, known for its cartoonish visuals and MOBA-style competition. Data from 2021 indicated that Brawl Stars was among Russia’s most profitable mobile games, as reported by the analytics firm App Annie. This success has, in some contexts, drawn attention to how popular titles can become spaces where vulnerable players might face risky behavior, including gambling by minors.
In related coverage, Socialbites.ca reported the discovery of more than 60 suspicious websites tied to the 2022 World Cup on the Russian Internet. Many users were drawn into scams that cost them money, underscoring a broader trend of online fraud. The wider picture reinforces the need for stronger protections for young users and improved digital literacy to help individuals recognize and avoid scams.