The notorious Mahadev betting app, previously shut down following a massive crackdown by law enforcement agencies, has resurfaced under a rebranded avatar 'Mahaadev'. The timing of its return to coincide with the Indian Premier League season and a string of upcoming state assembly elections.
According to TOI, the platform has re-emerged using altered names, rebranded websites, and proxy links to evade detection. Despite Parliament passing the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act in August last year, which bans all online money games, whether skill-based or chance-based, the operators behind Mahaadev appear undeterred.
App taking election bets as well
Beyond cricket, the platform has expanded its markets to cover assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. In West Bengal, bets are being accepted on seat projections for alliances led by the BJP and the TMC. Assam features wagering on the NDA bloc and the Asom Sonmilito Morcha. These bets include seat-range predictions and "odd/even" outcomes on total seats, with limits typically set between Rs. 100 and Rs. 10,000.
During IPL matches, users can place bets on session runs, fall of wickets, ball-by-ball outcomes, and "fancy" or "combo" bets combining multiple conditions for higher returns. Almost every major sport - football, tennis, basketball, rugby, horse racing, and even cockfighting - is listed on the platform.
Registration is deliberately simple. Users are directed via WhatsApp to share a UPI payment of Rs. 300, after which they receive a user ID, temporary password, and instructional videos on deposits and withdrawals.
The Enforcement Directorate had previously probed Mahaadev's alleged role in a money laundering network estimated at around Rs. 6,000 crore, with investigations drawing in political figures, including former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Bank accounts were frozen and several arrests made.
A senior IPS officer reportedly said that the network now uses mirror sites, encrypted communication, offshore hosting, and layered financial transactions, making enforcement significantly harder.
