The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action against major technology companies for allegedly endorsing online betting applications that are currently under investigation for serious financial offenses. On Saturday, the ED issued notices to tech giants Google and Meta, summoning them for questioning scheduled on July 21. These notices pertain to an ongoing ED inquiry into cases involving online betting applications, which are being scrutinized for financial crimes such as money laundering and hawala transactions.
The regulatory body has accused these technology platforms of providing prominent advertising spaces and facilitating visibility for websites associated with these online betting platforms, thus aiding in the extensive reach of these unlawful operations. According to the ED notice, Google and Meta have been called in for questioning on July 21, facing allegations of promoting online betting applications. The ED is conducting a thorough investigation into a vast network of online betting applications.
Many of these applications falsely present themselves as ‘skill-based games’ while actually engaging in illegal gambling activities. It is believed that these platforms have generated illicit funds amounting to crores of rupees, often funneled through hawala channels to evade detection. Last week, the ED took action against 29 celebrities in the Telugu states for endorsing betting applications.
The central agency has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers for allegedly promoting illegal betting platforms, in contravention of the Public Gambling Act of 1867. This investigation, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, has been initiated based on five First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Among those booked by the ED are film actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal, Pranitha Subhash, Manchu Lakshmi, and Ananya Nagella.
The list includes the names of television actors, television hosts, and social media influencers such as Sreemukhi, Shyamala, Varshini Sounderajan, Vasanthi Krishnan, Shoba Shetty, Amrutha Chowdary, Nayani Pavani, Neha Pathan, Pandu, Padhmavathi, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav.
The Enforcement Directorate suspects that endorsements of platforms such as Junglee Rummy, A23, JeetWin, Parimatch, Lotus365, and others are involved in the laundering of significant amounts through paid promotions.
In March, the Cyberabad police registered cases against Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, and others for allegedly promoting betting applications. However, they clarified that they were not endorsing any illegal applications.
