<p>Hyderabad: Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the Telangana government’s Special Investigation Team in connection with a case related to alleged promotion of an online betting application, police said.</p>.<p>Raj was questioned by the officials, a senior police official told PTI.</p>.<p>The Telangana government had constituted the SIT under the overall supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, CID, to curb illegal betting activities and for thorough investigation of online betting app cases.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters after being questioned by the officials, Raj said he did an advertisement for an app in 2016 before betting had begun. He withdrew from it when betting started and did not take payment, he said.</p>.<p>Observing that he had earlier appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the betting app issue, the actor said a member of the public had complained to the CID.</p>.Online betting app cases: Actor Vijay Deverakonda questioned by SIT in Telangana.<p>"In connection with that (case), they called me. I spoke to them. It was banned in 2017. (I told them) that betting did not start in 2016 and we did it (advertisement) thinking that it was a game. We realised later. I did not continue because betting app is wrong. I gave the details (to the officials)," he said.</p>.<p>Raj said the officials asked him if he worked for any other company involved in betting, to which he replied in negative.</p>.<p>Asserting that the lives of many young persons were getting ruined because of betting, he urged youth to work hard without getting involved in betting apps.</p>.<p>Under the Telangana Gaming Act of 2017, all forms of online betting are prohibited.</p>.<p>Cases were registered against illegal betting apps and promoters in March this year following complaints that the applications lured youth and general public to make easy money and eventually leading them into complete financial and psychological distress, and even suicides.</p>.<p>Managements of the illegal betting apps, few film actors and several social media influencers were booked for allegedly promoting online betting apps through social media platforms under various provisions of the Telangana State Gaming Act, 2017, BNS and IT Act.</p>.<p>Raj earlier appeared before the ED here in July as part of an investigation into a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the Telangana government’s Special Investigation Team in connection with a case related to alleged promotion of an online betting application, police said.</p>.<p>Raj was questioned by the officials, a senior police official told PTI.</p>.<p>The Telangana government had constituted the SIT under the overall supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, CID, to curb illegal betting activities and for thorough investigation of online betting app cases.</p>.<p>Speaking to reporters after being questioned by the officials, Raj said he did an advertisement for an app in 2016 before betting had begun. He withdrew from it when betting started and did not take payment, he said.</p>.<p>Observing that he had earlier appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the betting app issue, the actor said a member of the public had complained to the CID.</p>.Online betting app cases: Actor Vijay Deverakonda questioned by SIT in Telangana.<p>"In connection with that (case), they called me. I spoke to them. It was banned in 2017. (I told them) that betting did not start in 2016 and we did it (advertisement) thinking that it was a game. We realised later. I did not continue because betting app is wrong. I gave the details (to the officials)," he said.</p>.<p>Raj said the officials asked him if he worked for any other company involved in betting, to which he replied in negative.</p>.<p>Asserting that the lives of many young persons were getting ruined because of betting, he urged youth to work hard without getting involved in betting apps.</p>.<p>Under the Telangana Gaming Act of 2017, all forms of online betting are prohibited.</p>.<p>Cases were registered against illegal betting apps and promoters in March this year following complaints that the applications lured youth and general public to make easy money and eventually leading them into complete financial and psychological distress, and even suicides.</p>.<p>Managements of the illegal betting apps, few film actors and several social media influencers were booked for allegedly promoting online betting apps through social media platforms under various provisions of the Telangana State Gaming Act, 2017, BNS and IT Act.</p>.<p>Raj earlier appeared before the ED here in July as part of an investigation into a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms.</p>