KATHMANDU, June 15: Police have arrested eight people, including actor Marichman Shrestha, also known as 'Balchhi Dhurve,' on the charge of advertising and promoting online betting platforms.

Sources at the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office of Nepal Police confirmed their arrest on Wednesday. The arrests were made in connection with their alleged involvement in betting and advertising on One X Bet.

Among those arrested are actor Marichman Shrestha, Raju Paudel known as Raju Master and Pawan Khatiwada known as Makuri. Along with them, Alis Rai, Jalan Gharti Magar, Ganesh Devkota, Saroj Ghimire known as Dhuedu Budho, Begum Nepali known as Bhatbhate Maila have also been arrested.

Furthermore, police publicised five individuals, who placed bets worth over one billion rupees through OneX Bet on Wednesday. With the recent surge in the promotion of betting and casino gaming apps on social media platforms, police have taken steps to crack down on individuals engaged in such activities.

Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Nepal, 2074 BS prohibits gambling or betting. Sub-section 920 of Article 125 outlines the penalties, stating that individuals gambling or playing for the first time may face imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 30,000. Sub-section (b) stipulates that individuals gambling or playing for the second time may face imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to Rs 50,000. Repeated offences may result in an additional three months of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for each instance of gambling.

Police allege that the arrested individuals promoted betting through YouTube and the OneX app. An advertisement on YouTube indicates that a promo code can be used to avail a discount on OneX betting. Despite the government's decision to ban online betting websites, including ONEX Bet in Nepal, the trend of online betting has gone unabated.

 
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