March 21, 2025: Actor Vijay Deverakonda and veteran actor Prakash Raj have issued clarifications in response to allegations claiming they promoted illegal betting and gambling apps via their social media platforms.
Deverakonda’s team issued a statement on Thursday, addressing the concerns and clearing any misconceptions. The statement clarified that Deverakonda had entered into a contract with a company solely for the endorsement of skill-based games and had limited his promotions to regions where these games were legally allowed. The statement also highlighted that the Honourable Supreme Court of India has recognized skill-based games, such as rummy, as distinct from gambling, emphasizing that they are legal.
“Vijay Deverakonda has officially entered into a contract with a company solely for the limited purpose of serving as a brand ambassador for skill-based games. His endorsement was strictly confined to regions and territories where online skill-based games are legally permitted,” read the statement. It further mentioned that the actor’s endorsement term ended in 2023, and he is no longer associated with the brand. The press release aimed to clear any misconceptions about his past endorsement of a legal skill-based gaming platform.
Meanwhile, Prakash Raj took to his X handle to share a video where he addressed the allegations. Raj admitted that he had previously endorsed a gaming app in 2016 but stopped once he felt uncomfortable with it. He emphasized that while the app may have been legal at the time, his conscience didn’t align with continuing his association.
“I did do it. But within a few months, my conscience, maybe it was legal, but I thought that it was not right,” Raj explained in the video. “When they wanted to renew, I said no. My conscience doesn’t accept that, and I don’t want to continue.” He confirmed that he has not done any advertisements promoting online gambling since that time and had even sent a legal notice to the company when they attempted to use his image again in 2021-22.
This clarification comes amidst an FIR filed by the Telangana police against 25 celebrities and influencers, including Deverakonda, Raj, and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly promoting illegal betting and gambling apps. The FIR, filed at the Miyapur Police Station in Hyderabad, was based on a complaint from a businessman, PM Phanindra Sarma, who claimed that youth in his community were being influenced to invest in these gambling apps, which were heavily advertised by these social media personalities.
Both Deverakonda and Raj have made it clear that their involvement in these promotions was within legal boundaries at the time, and they have since taken steps to distance themselves from any future associations with gambling apps.