ED Registers Case Against 29 Celebrities For Alleged Endorsement Of Betting Apps

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated proceedings against 29 film and television personalities from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms.

The action comes under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) naming actors, influencers, and YouTubers who reportedly endorsed platforms operating in violation of Indian law.

The ED’s investigation follows five separate FIRs registered in both Telugu states.

Among those named are actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella.

TV celebrities and digital influencers, including Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav, have also been listed.

Several of these names had previously appeared in police cases filed in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and other jurisdictions, including Panjagutta, Miyapur, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.

The ED is examining whether promotions of betting apps such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, used as a front to launder money through paid endorsements and influencer marketing.

The ECIR invokes provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 318(4), 112 read with 49, as well as Sections 3, 3(A), and 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act. Additionally, the case includes Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and its 2008 amendment.

Past allegations and clarifications

In March, the Cyberabad police booked actors including Deverakonda, Daggubati, and Prakash Raj for similar allegations.

All three denied promoting illegal apps. While Rana Daggubati and Vijay Deverakonda maintained that they had only endorsed online skill-based gaming platforms allowed by law, Prakash Raj clarified he had opted out of a promotional contract back in 2017 after recognising its problematic nature.

A specific complaint by Phanidra Sharma, a resident of Miyapur, triggered the legal action. He alleged that high-profile endorsements of betting platforms were encouraging harmful behaviour and financial risk, especially among youth, by promoting gambling as a quick route to income.

The ED’s probe marks a significant development in the ongoing crackdown on digital betting and its ties to celebrity marketing.

Also Read: ED Raids Congress MLA SN Subba Reddy’s Properties Over Alleged Undisclosed Foreign Assets