Vijay Deverakonda’s team responds after actor booked for promoting ‘illegal betting apps’: ‘Only endorsed online skill-based games’

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According to the FIR, while Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj — listed as Accused 1 and Accused 2 — allegedly promoted Junglee Rummy through pop-up ads, Deverakonda is accused of endorsing A23 Rummy. His team further emphasised: “It is important to clarify that skill-based games, including online games such as rummy, have been repeatedly recognized by the Honourable Supreme Court of India as distinct from gambling or gaming. The court has upheld that such games involve skill rather than chance, making them legally permissible.”

Maintaining that Vijay Deverakonda’s legal team and representatives thoroughly review all brand associations before entering into agreements, the statement underscored that the same due diligence was followed in the case of A23 as well to ensure compliance with legal standards. His team, however, clarified that Deverakonda’s association with the company ended in 2023.

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The FIR, meanwhile, stated: “These platforms are encouraging public, especially people in dire need of money, to invest their hard-earned and family money into those apps/websites and slowly get addicted to them, leading to total financial collapse.” The complainant has claimed that transactions worth thousands of crores are involved in these platforms, leaving many middle- and lower-middle-class families in severe financial distress.

Following the debacle of his last movie, director Parasuram’s romantic action drama The Family Star, in which he starred alongside Mrunal Thakur, Vijay Deverakonda is currently gearing up for Gowtam Tinnanuri’s action thriller Kingdom, which will hit the screens on May 30, 2025. The actor also played a cameo role in Nag Ashwin’s epic mythological sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan in the lead roles.