ED books 29 celebrities, YouTubers for promoting illegal betting apps

New Delhi Jul 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against 29 people, including film actors, television anchors, and digital influencers, for allegedly promoting illegal online betting platforms, reports The Hindu.Among those named are popular actors Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, and Vijay Devarakonda, along with Manchu Lakshmi, Praneetha, and Nidhi Agarwal. Television and social media personalities like Sreemukhi, Siri Hanumanthu, Ananya Nagella, Vishnu Priya, Shyamala, and YouTubers such as Harsha Sai, Bayya Sunny Yadav, and the team behind the channel ‘Local Boy Nani’ have also been booked, reports The Hindu.The Hindu reported that the case is linked to promotional activities for platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, which are suspected of running illegal gambling operations disguised as online skill-based games. The ED suspects that many of those named were paid large sums to endorse these apps, which may have been used for large-scale money laundering. The action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on five FIRs filed in Panjagutta, Miyapur, Cyberabad, Suryapet, and Visakhapatnam. nThe ED’s Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) includes not only the celebrities but also the managers and handlers of the betting apps. Officials believe these apps operated in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The investigation is ongoing.