Hyderabad Police files case against 25, including actors Rana, Vijay Devarkonda Prakash Raju etc. for Endorsing Betting Apps

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Hyderabad police have registered a case against 25 individuals, including Tollywood actors, for allegedly endorsing online betting platforms. The accused include actors Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Pranitha and Nidhi Agarwal. According to the FIR filed by Miyapur Police and the report by Newsmeter, the case was filed following complaints about the increasing influence of celebrities and social media influencers in promoting illegal betting apps.

As per the FIR, these actors along with 18 social media influencers have been actively advertising betting apps. The complainant, 32-year-old PM Phanidra Sarma, a businessman from Miyapur reported that several young individuals in his community were discussing investments in gambling and betting applications. Sarma became aware of this earlier this week and he stated that many had already lost significant amounts of money after being influenced by celebrities promoting these apps on social media. 

Sarma further explained that he personally came across multiple endorsements of betting platforms on Instagram and Facebook. He alleged that influencers and actors accepted large sums of money to promote these apps. “These platforms encourage people, particularly those in financial distress, to invest their hard-earned money, leading to addiction and financial ruin,” the complainant stated.

The FIR lists specific actors and the platforms they promoted:

• Rana Daggubati – Jungleerummy.com (Pop-up ads)
• Prakash Raj – Jungleerummy.com (Pop-up ads)
• Vijay Devarakonda – A23 (Pop-up ads)
• Manchu Lakshmi – Yolo247.com (Pop-up ads)
• Pranitha – Fairplay.live (Pop-up ads)
• Nidhi Agarwal – JeetWin (Pop-up ads)

Additionally, the FIR includes 18 social media influencers.

A similar case was registered a week ago by Panjagutta Police against 11 actors and influencers, including Imran Khan, Harsha Sai, Tasty Teja, Kiran Goud, Vishnu Priya, Shyamala, Rithu Chowdhary, Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha, Ajay, Sunny, and Sudheer, for allegedly promoting betting apps.

According to the complainant, these betting platforms violate the Public Gambling Act of 1867 and the Telangana State Gaming Act. The complaint alleges that these apps target young adults and the general public, making gambling easily accessible through social media advertisements. The unregulated promotion of these platforms increases the risk of financial losses for users.

Authorities suspect that these betting apps involve transactions worth thousands of crores. The complainant urged officials to take immediate action to investigate and shut down these platforms. The police have registered a case under Cr No.393/2025 U/s 318(4), 112 r/w 49 BNS and Sec 3, 3(A), 4 of the Telangana State Gaming Act, and Sec 66(D) of the IT Act. The investigation is ongoing.

The individuals named in the FIR represent only a fraction of those promoting betting and gambling apps. Many more influencers and celebrities are involved in endorsing these platforms, which specifically target young adults and the general public by promising easy money. These advertisements, pushed through social media, reach users without them actively searching for such content, worsening the issue. The illegal betting industry involves massive financial transactions, leading many middle-class and lower-middle-class families into financial distress.

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