Lights. Camera. Laundering?

In a messy plot twist, 29 celebrities, yes, twenty-nine are now in the Enforcement Directorate’s crosshairs for allegedly endorsing illegal betting apps like Lotus365, Jeetwin, Junglee Games, and a few other platforms with names that sound like rejected IPL teams.

From South industry charmers like Vijay Deverakonda and Rana Daggubati, to seasoned names like Prakash Raj, and a long list of regional influencers and YouTubers, everyone’s been dragged into this paisa-ya-patience ka scam web.

And no, this isn’t your average “influencer gets called out for a fake collagen plug” drama. This is money laundering meets digital celebrity culture, and the ED just hit ‘subscribe.’

What’s The Fuss About?

The Enforcement Directorate (aka the Real Life Bigg Boss) has launched investigations under the PMLA, a fancy acronym for “we think you helped move shady money.”

These celebs allegedly:

  • Endorsed betting apps under the guise of “online gaming”

  • Pocketed crores via promotional deals

  • And some possibly did it again even after contracts expired (hi Rana)

Apps like 1xBat, Lotus365, Fairplay, and their desi clones promised you riches and rewards but apparently had more red flags than a Bigg Boss Weekend Ka Vaar.

The Celebrity Damage Control Tour Has Begun

Cue the PR statements and Insta stories. Here’s how everyone’s trying to wiggle out:

  • Vijay Deverakonda says, “I backed out once I got clarity on legality.” Bro thought he was promoting Ludo King.

  • Rana Daggubati claims, “They reused my old ad from 2017. No consent. I’m innocent.” Ah, the ghost-of-endorsements-past defense.

  • Prakash Raj? “I did one ad years ago. They’re misusing my footage.” Insert slow claps and legal disclaimers.

Influencers like Shyamala, Harsha Sai, and Bayya Sunny Yadav? Still quiet. Probably drafting Notes app apologies as we speak.

The Real Stakes: Not Just Ads, But Alleged Money Laundering

Here’s what ED isn’t buying:

  • These weren’t “skill games.” They were allegedly digital betting dens.

  • Payments were routed through benami accounts, mule wallets, and more financial sorcery than a crypto crash.

  • Over ₹50 CRORE was reportedly spent on surrogate advertising, code for “Let’s not call it betting, let’s call it ‘predict & win.’”

FYI: Many of these platforms operated on foreign servers, redirected links via QR codes, and even sponsored IPL-style leagues. It’s giving Dhoni meets Wolf of Wall Street, but make it desi and illegal.

The Industry Is Shook… And Next In Line?

This isn’t a one-time raid. It’s a clean-up op. Media houses, ad agencies, even streaming platforms are being looked at. Because guess what? The endorsement ecosystem is complicit. And the ED is following the money like a Netflix docu series plotline.

Next in line? Possibly the production houses and marketing agencies who facilitated these deals. Welcome to the sequel: “Brand Endorsement Gone Wild: The Ad Wars.”



Real Talk: Where Do We Draw The Line?

In a world where celebs promote everything from dubious diet gummies to get-rich-quick crypto, this ED crackdown is a much-needed reality check.

  • Should celebs be held accountable for the brands they endorse?

  • Or is this yet another case of “blame the face, ignore the machinery”?

And hey, if fans lost lakhs because they clicked on an ad with their fav star holding a phone and saying “register karo aur jeeto,” who’s to blame the algorithm or the ambassador?