Hyderabad: The betting app controversy in Tollywood is getting bigger each day. More celebrities are being linked to the promotion of betting platforms, and legal complaints are piling up. Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s happening.
A fresh complaint has been filed against Tollywood stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Prabhas, and Gopichand. They are accused of promoting FUN88, an online betting app that allegedly tricked users into losing large sums of money.
The complaint, lodged by Rama Rao Immaneni, also links the app to a banned Chinese gaming platform, violating the Telangana Gaming Amendment Act, 2017, and the Digital Media Ethics Code. It urges officials to block the app due to potential national security threats and recommends legal action under Section 66F(B) of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
A man named Sri Rambabu from Nellore said he lost Rs. 80 lakh after using the FUN88 app. He trusted actor Balakrishna because of his popularity and downloaded the app after seeing it promoted on the actor’s talk show, Unstoppable. Initially, he won Rs. 3 lakh, but greed led him to borrow more money and gamble, eventually losing everything.
Celebs Respond
- Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati issued statements clarifying they only promoted skill-based games—which are legal in certain regions.
- Prakash Raj, however, admitted his mistake of endorsing a betting app back in 2016 and said he declined a renewal offer after realizing it was wrong.
What’s Next?
As of now, no arrests have been made, but investigations are ongoing. With more names surfacing, this controversy is far from over. Authorities like Telangana RTC MD Sajjanar are cracking down on celebrities and influencers tied to betting apps.
