ED Cracks Down On Telugu Actors: What’s Up?

The government of Telangana has taken up the anti-gambling prospect, very seriously and as a result, there’s a lot of investigative action happening about the actors who are associated with the same.

In a major crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate has filed an ECIR against 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms, in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The probe, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, follows five FIRs filed in Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam.

Top names include actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, and TV hosts Sreemukhi and Shyamala. YouTubers like Harsha Sai, Bayya Sunny Yadav, and Local Boi Nani are also under scrutiny.

Vijay and Rana had already clarified that they had done the ads only in legal jurisdictions and their arguments seemed valid. It has to be seen how they would approach this case now.

The ED suspects endorsements of platforms like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, Lotus365, and others involved laundering of large sums through paid promotions. Summons are expected soon.

The celebrities have denied wrongdoing, claiming they ended contracts over ethical concerns. Complaints from individuals like Phanindra Sarma and Vinay Vangala cited direct influence of these promotions on gambling habits. Another complainant, Puli Kumar Reddy, reported losing over ₹3 crore due to YouTube ads. FIRs also flagged gambling ads disguised as philanthropy or entertainment.