The FIR filed claims that the betting and casino apps and websites are targeting young adults from middle and lower-middle-class households.
Published Mar 20, 2025 | 1:59 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 20, 2025 | 5:21 PM
Actors and social media influencers booked for promoting illegal betting apps. (X)
Synopsis: Telangana police filed an FIR against actors and influencers, including Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Rana Daggubati, for promoting illegal betting apps targeting young adults. The FIR alleges these platforms lure users with promises of easy money, leading to financial ruin. Celebrities and influencers are accused of endorsing these platforms through social media and promotional videos.
Telangana police on Thursday, 20 March, registered an FIR against actors Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, Lakshmi Manchu, Praneetha, Nidhi Agarwal, and Ananya Nagalla, along with other social media influencers for promoting illegal betting apps.
The influencers booked also include Sreemukhi, Siri Hanumanthu, Shyamala, Varshini, Shobha, Neha, Pandu, Padmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, Harsha Sai, Sunny Yadav, Tasty Teja and Ritu.
The police invoked Sections 318(4), 112 read with 49 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 3, 3(A), 4 of the Telangana Gaming Act (TSGA), and 66D of the Information Technology Act (ITA) 2000.
The FIR filed claims that the betting and casino apps and websites are targeting young adults from middle and lower-middle-class households.
The FIR read, “The individuals mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. Many others are promoting gambling, betting, and casino apps/websites aimed at enticing young adults and the general public with promises of easy money, ultimately leading them to financial ruin.”
“These platforms actively promote their apps/websites through social media ads, leveraging celebrities and influencers to reach their target audience, even without users actively searching for them, which further exacerbates the issue.”
“Thousands of lakhs of rupees are involved in these illegal platforms and it is also leading many families into distress, especially those of middle-class and lower middle-class,” the complaint read.
According to an NDTV report, the complainant has said that people are actively using these apps and many have lost their hard-earned money. He said he was about to deposit in one such website but stepped back after his family warned him. The complainant said several celebrities and influencers are actively promoting these illegal betting apps after accepting huge sums as remuneration.
The FIR further noted that Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha and Nidhi Agarwal were endorsing these platforms through pop-up ads and social media posts.
While influencers like Tastyteja, Shyamala, Rithu Chowdary, and Supritha were promoting directly through promotional videos and ads.
A press release from actor Vijay Deverakonda claimed that his past association was with a skill-based gaming company, emphasizing that he had entered into a contract solely to serve as a brand ambassador for the platform. His endorsement was limited to regions where online skill-based games, such as rummy, are legally permitted.
The release read: “It is important to clarify that skill-based games, including online games such as rummy, have been repeatedly recognized by the Honourable Supreme Court of India as distinct from gambling or gaming. The court has upheld that such games involve skill rather than chance, making them legally permissible. Vijay Deverakonda’s legal team and agencies carefully review all associations before entering into any agreements. After a thorough legal review, he had agreed to endorse the skill-based gaming platform A23, ensuring that his association aligned with the law standards.”
The statement further clarified that his endorsement term ended in 2023, and he is no longer associated with the brand. The statement was issued to clear any misconceptions or misinformation regarding his past endorsement, stressing that his actions were fully lawful.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sumit Jha)
