The Telangana Police have booked 25 celebrities and social media influencers for allegedly promoting illegal betting and gambling apps through pop-up ads and promotional campaigns. Among those named in the FIR are actors Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj, who promoted Jungleerummy.com, along with Vijay Devarakonda (A23), Manchu Lakshmi (Yolo247), Praneetha (Fairplay Live), and Nidhi Agarwal (JeetWin). These celebrities allegedly misused their influence to lure users into gambling platforms, violating state laws.
Alongside film stars, several social media influencers have also been named in the case for endorsing betting websites. Influencers like Ananya Nagella (Vlbook.co), Siri Hanumanthu (Taj77), Sreemukhi (Vvbbok.co), and Varshini Sounderajan (Dhanibook365) allegedly promoted gambling apps through pop-up advertisements. Others, including Imran Khan (@imrankhan3237), Vishnu Priya (@harshasai), and Bayya Sunny Yadav (@bayyasunnyyadav), reportedly used their social media handles to drive traffic to these platforms. Some influencers, like Shyamala (Andhra365) and Tastyteja (@tastyteja), and Bandaru Sheshayani Suprita went further by featuring in direct promotional videos in addition to online ads.
Crackdown on Celebrities Promoting Illegal Betting Apps!
Telangana Police have registered an FIR against 25 celebrities & influencers, including Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, and Nidhi Agarwal, for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps.
The case, filed at… pic.twitter.com/CiUVVT9s5c
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) March 20, 2025
Cases have been registered against them under Sections 318(4), 112 read with 49 BNS 3, 3(A), 4 of the Telangana State Gaming Act, and 66-D of the IT Act.
Victims who filed complaints detailed their struggles, with some individuals claiming to have lost their life savings. A complainant, a daily wage worker, narrated how he was encouraged by a YouTube influencer to invest in an online betting platform, only to end up in debt. Another victim revealed that he had borrowed money from friends and even resorted to online loans, hoping to recover his losses, but instead fell into severe financial distress. Many affected individuals expressed frustration over the aggressive promotion of these platforms by celebrities, which gave them a false sense of security.
Hello @prakashraaj, how does it feel to be named in an FIR for promoting betting apps and contributing to the destruction of young futures in this country?
Preaching morality on social media while endorsing platforms that ruin lives—what a fine example of hypocrisy! pic.twitter.com/omlXcGW4mm
— Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) March 20, 2025
Following this, the Cyberabad police have launched an investigation into the financial transactions linked to these promotions. Authorities are scrutinizing video content, advertisements, and money trails associated with the accused influencers and actors. The police have also issued notices to social media platforms demanding details of these promotional campaigns. Meanwhile, strict warnings have been issued against further endorsement of such platforms, and the police are urging the public to avoid engaging with these illegal gambling applications.
Reacting to this allegations, action Prakash Raj released a video confessing that he did promote a betting app 8 years ago, and later he stopped endorsing it.
My response 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 #SayNoToBettingAps #justasking pic.twitter.com/TErKkUb6ls
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) March 20, 2025
On March 5, Bayya Sunny Yadav, a well-known social media influencer, was arrested for promoting betting apps on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Yadav was accused of enticing his followers to invest in these platforms with promises of quick financial returns, violating the Telangana State Gaming Act. The case was filed after a complaint by senior IPS officer V.C. Sajjanar, who expressed concerns about the growing trend of promoting online gambling.
The crackdown expanded further when, on March 17, 2025, the Panjagutta Police took action against 11 social media influencers and anchors involved in promoting these illegal platforms. Those arrested include popular figures such as Shyamala, Vishnupriya, Suprita, Ritu Chowdhury, Harshasai, Tasty Teja, Pareshan Boys Imran, Kiran Goud, Ajay, and Sudheer. These individuals are facing charges under multiple sections of the Telangana State Gaming Act, BNS, and IT Act, 2008.
Protecting citizens from online betting risks, Telangana fights online gaming addiction and financial losses with strict action. 385 cases reported, — strong measures in place to curb betting apps. To help curb this menace, report any betting platforms on 8712672222 via whatsapp.… pic.twitter.com/VwZTPzWXMm
— TGCyberBureau (@TGCyberBureau) March 20, 2025
Authorities have warned that these promotions mislead the public, especially young audiences, into illegal gambling, leading to financial losses and addiction. The police have initiated action under relevant sections of the law, and further investigations are underway.
