Betting apps: CID grills actor Rana Daggubati

Hyderabad: ActorRana Daggubati on Saturday appeared before the CID as part of an ongoing investigation into the illegal promotion of online betting apps. His appearance is a continuation of the extensive probe by the probe agency into a gambling racket allegedly involving many celebrities who promoted these betting platforms in the past.

The investigation was triggered by multiple FIRs filed against several online betting and gaming apps, including Taj0077, Fairplay. Live, Andhra365, and others are said to have duped hundreds of youth. Rana, along with other actors such as Prakash Raj and Vijay Deverakonda, was summoned to provide details on their alleged roles and financial transactions tied to the promotion of these illegal betting apps.

Officials aim to uncover the money laundering and tax evasion aspects linked to the high-profile endorsements. Rana had previously appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August 2025, where he was questioned for several hours about his involvement. At that time, he stated that he promoted a gaming app, not knowing it had betting elements, and distanced himself after the ban on betting in Telangana in 2017. The CID inquiry today follows up on these earlier investigations to further probe the network behind the illegal betting operations.

The Telangana government has taken a tough legal stance, banning all forms of online betting under the Telangana Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2017, which criminalizes hosting and participation in such platforms. Authorities are targeting promoters, app operators, and celebrities who lured the public with misleading endorsements promising easy money, which led many into financial distress.