Enforcement Directorate Investigates Celebrities for Promoting Illegal Betting Platforms

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned several prominent actors, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi, in connection with its investigation into the promotion of illegal online betting platforms. These platforms include names like Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, and Lotus365, all suspected of facilitating large-scale money laundering. Daggubati is scheduled to appear before the agency on July 23, while Raj, Deverakonda, and Lakshmi are slated for July 30, August 6, and August 13, respectively. The ED’s action follows the filing of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the actors and 25 others, including social media influencers, for violating the Public Gambling Act, 1867. This crackdown also saw the ED conduct searches at opinion trading platform Probo, freezing assets worth INR 284.5 Cr, and questioning former cricketers and actors regarding their involvement with banned betting platforms.