Vijay Deverakonda denies wrongdoing in ED probe; says he endorsed legal gaming app
Vijay Deverakonda told the ED he endorsed a legal gaming app, not a betting platform, amid a wider probe involving 29 celebrities for promoting illegal betting apps under money laundering charges.
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Actor Vijay Deverakonda has claimed that his recent questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was related to a legal gaming app, not an illegal betting platform.
Deverakonda was summoned by the ED on Wednesday and interrogated for over four-and-a-half hours in connection with a larger investigation into celebrities endorsing online betting platforms. Speaking to the media after exiting the ED’s regional office in Hyderabad, the actor stated, “I was called for questioning regarding a gaming app, not a betting app. There is a clear difference between the two.”
The Arjun Reddy star maintained that the app he endorsed, A23, is a licensed, government-recognized skill-based gaming platform. He added that he had provided complete financial, transactional and company-related details during his questioning and that the ED officials appeared satisfied with his responses.
Responding to questions about the app's inaccessibility in certain states, Deverakonda explained, “Legal gaming apps often have geo-location restrictions. If you try to access it in Telangana, it won’t open because state law prohibits it. But it functions in states where it's allowed.”
Deverakonda is the second Tollywood actor to appear before the ED in the case. Veteran actor Prakash Raj was questioned for nearly five hours on July 30. He reportedly told investigators that he had endorsed a gaming app in 2016 but had not accepted any payment, saying his “conscience didn’t allow it.”
The ED has intensified its crackdown after registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against 29 public personalities including actors, influencers and YouTubers for allegedly promoting betting platforms in violation of the Public Gambling Act, 1867. The probe is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is based on multiple FIRs filed across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
