Hyderabad: A cybercrime complaint has been registered against Telengana film stars Prabhas, Nandamuri Balakrishna, and Gopichand for allegedly promoting the illegal betting App FUN88. This comes a day after similar cases were registered against actors like Vijay Devarakonda, Rana Daggubati and 23 other celebrities and influencers.
An individual named Rama Rao Immaneni filed an online complaint with city police, accusing the trio of promoting the Chinese betting App Fun88 via Google Chrome, allegedly misleading users into investing and causing significant financial losses.
Authorities have said that complainant Rama Rao Immaneni has claimed that the illegal betting App Fun88 was promoted during Unstoppable Season 2, hosted by Balakrishna, where Prabhas and Gopichand appeared as guests. Immaneni alleged he lost Rs 80 lakh through the platform, reigniting concerns over celebrity endorsements influencing fraudulent schemes.
Authorities are investigating the claims under the Gaming Amendment Act, though. It has come to light that while the petitioner initially made profits, he later suffered significant losses, leading to debt. He now holds the App’s promotions responsible for encouraging users to invest money.
The complainant urged authorities to block access to the App, citing national security risks. Fun88 is accused of deceiving users by luring them into games, leading to financial losses, with funds funneled through mule accounts.
Allegedly linked to a banned Chinese gaming platform, it violates the Telangana Gaming Amendment Act, 2017, and the Digital Media Ethics Code. Telangana RTC MD Sajjanar has also campaigned against illegal betting Apps. The issue of celebrity endorsements has sparked debate, but authorities are yet to respond to the complaints or take further action.
