Indian celebrities face money laundering charges over betting app endorsements
Actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Prakash Raj are among 29 public figures being investigated.
India.- India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched an investigation into 29 celebrities, including prominent Telugu film actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Prakash Raj, for allegedly endorsing unlicensed betting platforms. The platforms are suspected of violating national gambling laws and facilitating money laundering.
The probe comes after multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including in Cyberabad, Panjagutta, and Visakhapatnam. The federal agency has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Also under scrutiny are several other actors and influencers, such as Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, Ananya Nagalla, and television personalities like Sreemukhi and Shyamala. The celebrities are alleged to have promoted platforms including Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Yolo 247, and Lotus365, some of which are suspected of breaching India’s Public Gambling Act, the Telangana Gaming Act, and the Information Technology Act.
Aeveral of the celebrities have issued public denials. Deverakonda stated that his endorsement was limited to skill-based games deemed legal by the Supreme Court. Daggubati said his promotional activities ended in 2017 and were vetted by legal counsel. Raj said he ended his association with gaming brands in 2017 and had objected to the unauthorised use of old promotional videos in later campaigns.
