Online Betting Menace: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy constitutes SIT

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced in the State Legislative Assembly that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be constituted to probe into the menace of online betting apps. 

He noted that while the previous K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government banned online betting and gambling, the law was not implemented effectively in the State.

Revanth Reddy’s announcement comes days after police booked cases against 25 people, including Tollywood celebrities Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, and Manchu Lakshmi, for promoting online betting apps.

Panjagutta police also filed cases against 11 actors and social media influencers on March 17, based on a complaint lodged by Vinay Vangala (40), a private employee from Matrusri Nagar. The complainant stated that mobile apps and websites promoting gambling activities violated the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

The police also took into account the rising instances of suicides by individuals who lose money to online gambling and betting.

On Tuesday (March 25), a youngster, identified as Somesh (29) from Gundla Pochampally, ended his life after losing ₹2 lakh to online cricket betting.

Betting and gambling are State subjects: Union IT Minister

Responding to DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnav made it clear that betting and gambling are State subjects.

Pointing out that Tamil Nadu has banned online betting; Maran charged the Central government with ‘shying away’ from its ‘moral responsibility’ to take steps against online gaming.

The Union Minister retorted, “Maran has no right to question the moral authority of the Central government. The country functions as per the federal structure defined in the Constitution. The Constitution places the moral and the legal authority on states to frame laws on the subject as per List II dealing with State subjects.”

Further, Vaishnaw pointed out that 1,410 online gaming apps have been banned based on complaints.