Veteran actor Prakash Raj has finally spoken about the claims connecting him to illegal gambling and betting apps, clarifying that he was involved almost nine years ago. His clarification follows after the Telangana police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against 25 celebrities and social media influencers for promoting the platforms allegedly.

As per reports, there were around 25 celebrities that were accused in this betting app case. According to the FIR these celebs had promoted or endorsed betting apps from their social media accounts because of which legal action was taken against them. Prakash Raj, one of the celebrities named in the FIR, has now spoken on the issue. He confessed to having featured in a promo of one such app many years ago but clarified that he did not continue his association beyond the first contact period.

My response to all 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 #SayNoToBettingAps #justasking pic.twitter.com/fNwspZodOP

— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) March 20, 2025

What Did Prakash Raj Say?

Addressing the controversy, the actor said, “Yes, I did say yes to an ad around nine years ago, but later, I refused to renew my contract. When i question everyone so I need to answer too. So this is my answer. I have not received any summons or anything from the police station. But whenever I will recieve, I will definitely reply to it. The actor also added, “They offered to renew the contract but I declined it by telling them that my conscience would not permit me to continue. This happened just about nine years ago and ever since then i have avoided endorsing any only gambling advertising. In 2021, the company appears to have sold the app to another company, who used some clips of my past endorsement on social media. When we found this out, we immediately gave them a legal notice and an email and made it very clear that I was no longer endorsing them. I also let them know that using my clips was unlawful, as my contract had by then expired.”

Rana Daggubati’s Team Issues Statement

The statement read, “This is to clarify that Rana Daggubati entered into a contract with a company to act as a brand ambassador for skill-based games, which expired in 2017. His endorsement was strictly limited to regions where online skill-based games were legally permitted. Rana Daggubati’s legal team thoroughly reviews all partnerships before any agreements are made. After a careful legal review, he agreed to endorse the platform, ensuring full compliance with the law.”

As the controversy unfolds, Prakash Raj’s and Rana Duggubati’s explanation clarifies their affiliation and intention behind the endorsement. Now, whether this clarification will affect the current investigation remains to be seen.