Actor Prakash Raj appears before Enforcement Directorate in betting app case in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Actor Prakash Raj appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into illegal online betting applications. The ED had earlier registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against 29 actors, influencers, and content creators allegedly involved in promoting such platforms.Prakash Raj’s name figures in both the FIR and ECIR due to his association with JungleeRummy, an online gambling app.

The complainant, PM Phanindra Sarma, a resident of Miyapur, claimed that Prakash Raj’s endorsement significantly boosted the app’s visibility and appeal. The probe was initiated following a complaint filed by Sarma on March 19 with Cyberabad police.Prakash Raj, in his statement, acknowledged that he had agreed to promote JungleeRummy in June 2016 after being approached for an advertisement.

However, he said he soon grew uneasy about the platform’s nature and wanted to disassociate. Bound by a one-year contract, he continued the endorsement reluctantly but chose not to renew it after realizing the app’s harmful impact on users.Speaking to the media after appearing before the ED, Prakash Raj said: “I was summoned by the ED regarding the betting apps case. I informed them that in 2016, I endorsed an app but stopped doing so after I realised it was wrong.

I have not received any payments. There were no financial transactions. They checked my accounts and found nothing. I’m cooperating with the investigation. There is no political angle. The officials have taken all the details and completed the enquiry.

They are doing their job, and as a citizen, it is my duty to cooperate and answer their questions.”“I endorsed one app in 2016, and the ED officials are just doing their duty.

As a responsible citizen, I have come here to support their measures,” he said.Prakash Raj also advised youngsters not to fall prey to betting apps. “Money earned through hard work is the best bet—you can sleep peacefully. I have not been asked to appear again,” he concluded.He alleged that celebrity endorsements on social media were drawing youth into online betting, leading to financial distress. Sarma said he himself had nearly signed up for one such app but backed out after concerns raised by his family.According to the complaint, celebrities and influencers were promoting gambling platforms that lured users, particularly vulnerable individuals, with promises of easy money. Instead, many fell into debt and financial hardship.The ED’s ongoing investigation is expected to examine the financial and promotional ties between the platforms and the endorsing celebrities, to determine their potential role in enabling or legitimising illegal gambling operations.