The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against 29 individuals, including actors, television personalities, social media influencers, and YouTubers, for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The investigation has been launched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following five FIRs registered across Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.
The case centres on paid promotions for online betting platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, Lotus365, and others, which allegedly operated under the guise of skill-based gaming. According to the ED, these platforms facilitated gambling and were part of a large-scale money laundering network. The celebrities and influencers reportedly received substantial financial compensation for endorsing these apps, many of which were advertised as harmless entertainment.
Among those named in the ECIR are:
- Film actors: Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha, and Nidhi Agarwal
- Television and media personalities: Ananya Nagella, Siri Hanumanthu, Sreemukhi, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Imran Khan, Vishnu Priya, and Shyamala
- YouTubers and digital creators: Harsha Sai, Bayya Sunny Yadav, Tastyteja, Rithu Chowdhary, Bandaru Sheshayani Supritha, Ajay, Sunny, Sudheer, and the channel ‘Local Boy Nani’
The ED has also named Kiran Goud and the management teams behind the betting platforms as accused.
Some of the promotions were disguised as entertainment content or charitable initiatives, which led to public outrage and multiple police complaints. One complainant claimed to have lost over ₹3 crore after being influenced by promotional content on YouTube featuring some of these personalities.
The ED is expected to issue summonses soon for questioning. Several individuals named in the report have already made public statements, claiming they withdrew from the promotions once legal and ethical concerns became known. They have denied any intentional wrongdoing and say they were unaware of the nature of the platforms when entering into endorsement agreements.
The case is being closely watched as it highlights growing concerns around the misuse of celebrity influence in digital advertising, especially in promoting financially risky or illegal platforms.
