The ED is investigating whether these celebrities received payments for endorsing or promoting online betting platforms that are allegedly operating illegally in India.
Published Aug 06, 2025 | 3:39 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 06, 2025 | 3:39 PM
Vijay Deverakonda appears before ED. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The ED case names 29 celebrities, including prominent actors and influencers such as Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhhi Agerwal, Sreemukhi, and Lakshmi Manchu, among others. The accused allegedly promoted platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, and Parimatch.
Actor Vijay Deverakonda appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Hyderabad on Tuesday, 5 August, in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged promotion of illegal betting applications.
The probe stems from an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case names 29 celebrities, including prominent actors and influencers such as Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhhi Agerwal, Sreemukhi, and Lakshmi Manchu, among others. The accused allegedly promoted platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, and Parimatch.
The ED is investigating whether these celebrities received payments for endorsing or promoting the platforms that are allegedly operating illegally in India.
In March, Telangana police registered an FIR against the actors and influencers invoking 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 claimed 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,” it read.
However, a press release from actor Vijay Deverakonda in March following the FIR 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.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sumit Jha)
