The Head of 1xBet in Central Africa Pretended to Be the Owner of a Big Win

^{Pictured: Steven Rodrigue Nbienou, a 1xBet employee, posing as student Ben Maunda}

In 2018, a story went viral online about a Kenyan student named Ben Maunda, who won a ton of money — around 13.5 million Kenyan shillings (almost $100,000) from a bet of 50 shillings.

The lucky student posed for a photoshoot and gave a short interview. “I’m just an unemployed student. One day I saw a bookmaker’s ad offering a huge bonus on the first deposit. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to go for it”, Maunda said.

But the story was a lie: 5 years later, the truth came out. The guy behind the mask was Steven Rodrigue Nbienou, the boss of 1xBet in Central Africa.

He was spotted by local media when he went to a partnership signing ceremony in Cameroon between 1xBet Cameroon and Samuel Eto’o, the head of the local football federation. 

Steven Rodrigue Nbienou (right), head of 1xBet in Central Africa

Turns out, there was no Ben Maunda and neither did the 13.5 million Kenyan shilling jackpot.

Local media reports say that in 2018, Steven Rodrigue Nbienou worked at 1xBet as a programmer. The company used him in a fake photoshoot to show a big win. The goal was simple and clear: to get new customers who would want to copy the fake Kenyan student.

Later, Nbienou moved up in the company, getting a boss position. And now, other ‘programmers’ at 1xBet are making more fake wins.