On this page
What the ad promises
A familiar face and a jackpot story make the installation look like a route to winnings. Political Analysis describes the Motsepe promotion as a fabricated endorsement, with the download reached through a store imitation.
| The ad says | What can be checked |
|---|---|
| Motsepe founded the casino | Political Analysis identifies the voice in the clip as dubbed and the endorsement as fabricated. |
| A player has already won a jackpot | The investigation identifies the testimonial as fabricated. |
| The install button leads to the advertised app | The report describes a copied store page delivering an APK that redirects to another website. |
With fake Plinko apps, the company behind the account and the destination of the download matter more than the celebrity in the advert.
The “Motsepe Casino” case: what was documented
Political Analysis describes a store imitation and a dubbed news clip working together to sell the same download. Its investigation traces the installation to a redirect, leaving the advertised winnings as part of the fabricated pitch.
A store copy delivers the APK
The investigation identifies luckybonus.click as the Google Play imitation, displaying a 4.9 rating and an “Editor’s Choice” badge; its Install button downloads an APK.
Invented reviews supply the winnings
The report describes fabricated reviews boasting of a R350 000 win and replies presented as responses from the app’s account.
The installation sends you elsewhere
Political Analysis describes an APK containing no casino, redirecting instead to a third-party casino website with ordinary slots through an affiliate redirect.
A doctored clip supplies the endorsement
The investigation describes a fake SABC-style news report with a dubbed Motsepe voice and a headline presenting the app as his nationwide surprise.
Political Analysis identifies the following statements in the clip as fabricated. The casino-founding statement and game preference are delivered through the dubbed voice.
| Claim in the clip | Status per Political Analysis |
|---|---|
| The news headline presents Motsepe as surprising the country with his app | Fabricated news headline |
| The speaker presents himself as the casino’s founder | Fabricated statement through a dubbed voice |
| A purported winner hit a jackpot in a new casino presented as Motsepe’s | Fabricated testimonial |
| The speaker names Gates of Olympus as his favourite | Fabricated statement through a dubbed voice |
“No, the Motsepe Casino App is Not Legit”
Source: Political Analysis, 10 Feb 2025 (single-site investigation)
The fake-app funnel uses the store imitation to carry the endorsement through to an installation.
What it means for a player
Political Analysis identifies the supposed Motsepe app and its advertised wins as fabrications. Real-money Plinko uses an operator account with a cashier and verification: the South African operators below have Plinko, and genuine operator apps come through their own download pages or the App Store.
What the FSCA, ARM and Dr Motsepe have said
The FSCA warnings concern investment platforms; the Motsepe Casino investigation concerns gambling advertising. ARM’s denial names the investment businesses involved, so the subject of each warning matters when assessing the advert.
| Date | Source | About | What it says |
|---|---|---|---|
| MalwareTips | MrBeast Plinko advertising | Describes a fake news host, a celebrity deepfake and a copied app-store page with an invented publisher. | |
| ITWeb | Investment platforms | Reports the FSCA warning about deepfakes promoting Gold Earnings Hub and Africa Gold Capital; ARM denies any association by itself or Dr Motsepe. | |
| Political Analysis | Motsepe Casino advertising | Describes the fake store, fabricated reviews, dubbed news clip and APK redirect to a third-party casino website. | |
| TimesLive | Investment platforms | Reports the FSCA warning about deepfakes using Ramaphosa and Motsepe; the platforms are not authorised to offer financial services. | |
| Daily Maverick | Misuse of public figures’ names | Identifies Motsepe, Leanne Manas and Cyril Ramaphosa among the names used without permission. |
“ARM has confirmed that neither it, nor Dr Motsepe, have any association…”
ITWeb, 15 January 2025, on Gold Earnings Hub and Africa Gold Capital
For a deposit decision, Plinko’s legitimacy rests on the game and the operator accepting your funds.
Same scheme, other names
Both investigations describe a celebrity endorsement leading to an imitation app store. MalwareTips breaks the MrBeast Plinko promotion into seven stages, from an Instagram advert to a download delivering a different app or a subscription or permission trap.
| Element | Motsepe Casino (Political Analysis) | MrBeast Plinko (MalwareTips) |
|---|---|---|
| News presentation | Doctored SABC-style clip | Deepfaked cable-news host in an Instagram advert |
| Celebrity endorsement | Dubbed voice presenting Motsepe as the founder | Deepfake celebrity clip and fabricated endorsements using AI voices |
| Download pitch | Install button on a Google Play imitation | Host urges viewers to avoid imitations and follow the supposed original-app link |
| Store identity | Invented reviews and a copied Google Play page | Imitation app store naming the non-existent publisher Beast Group |
| After installation | APK redirects to a third-party casino website | Download delivers a different app or a subscription or permission trap |
The celebrity-to-download chain puts the company and file origin behind a familiar face; checking those identities breaks the advert’s shortcut to your account.
Four checks before you install
The company accepting your deposit must be identifiable before the install button becomes relevant. Match the app publisher to the licensed business, then read the cash-out conditions and establish where the file comes from.
Match the company
Read the developer or seller name in the store and match it to the business named in the operator’s footer and terms.
Verify the licence
Match the company and licence details against the named regulator’s register before funding the account.
Read the withdrawal conditions
Establish the minimum cash-out, payment method, verification requirements and any bonus wagering before making a deposit.
Trace the download
Start from the operator’s own website or its App Store entry; use the operator’s download link for an Android APK.
With operator apps for iOS and Android, the download route leads back to the business running the account and its payment terms.
Real Plinko apps from licensed South African operators
10bet, Hollywoodbets and Betway South Africa accept South African players and offer Plinko in their lobbies. Each has an App Store ZA app; operator websites provide the starting point for their own app-download routes.
10betSouth Africa10bet is regulated by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator and offers Plinko in its lobby. The iOS app is 10bet Sports Betting & Casino; the website’s 10bet App Download entry provides its app-download route.
Hollywoodbets holds provincial licences covering Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, with specific products licensed in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. It offers PlinkoX by SmartSoft Gaming and Split The Pot Plinko; Hollywoodbets - Sport & Casino is its App Store ZA app, while Android downloads start from its website footer links.
Betway South Africa offers Plinko by Betgames, PlinkoX, Turbo Plinko and Mega Fire Blaze Plinko. It holds licences from the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator and Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board; Betway - Sports Betting is its App Store ZA app, and its website app page supplies its download route.
For real-money Plinko in South Africa, match your operator’s download to its company before opening an account. Players in the UK, Canada, Australia and India can pick from Plinko casinos by country; the free Plinko demo offers a way to play before depositing.
If you already installed it or paid
A payment request after installation is a reason to stop sending money, especially when it is presented as a fee to unlock winnings. Remove the app and deal with subscriptions and account access before returning to real-money play.
Remove the app
Uninstall the downloaded app and stop using the advert’s installation route.
Stop further payments
Do not pay an extra fee presented as necessary to release the advertised winnings.
Cancel subscriptions
Review subscriptions connected to the installation and cancel any you did not intend to keep.
Change passwords
Change passwords entered into the app, including any reused on other accounts.
Report the app
Use the store’s reporting route for the app or store entry involved in the promotion.
Set a deposit limit before returning to gambling; responsible-gaming controls help you keep the next payment within your budget.
Page history
- Added the Motsepe Casino advertising case, warning timeline, installation checks and recovery steps.
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