India’s Telangana issues legal notices to real money gaming operators
The state government of India’s Telangana has issued a legal notice to multiple online Real Money Gaming (RMG) operators, demanding detailed disclosures from gaming platforms on server locations, payment gateways, and user demographics.
Ban since 2017, yet rising incidents
Telangana first banned online gaming involving monetary stakes through the Telangana Gaming (Amendment) Act, 2017. This amendment widened the legal definition of “gaming” to include online games of skill if they involved financial rewards.
Despite this, users in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh have continued accessing banned apps through proxy networks and virtual private networks (VPN). Authorities report that this backdoor access has led to severe financial losses, with some cases ending in suicides.
Legal notices and data demands
In recent weeks, the state has served notices to several RMG platforms, demanding data on infrastructure, user activity, and financial flows. A senior government official told Storyboard18 that these efforts aim to expose operators continuing services through loopholes.
Operators have also raised concerns about privacy. Releasing sensitive user data and transaction records could breach legal obligations and privacy agreements, they said.
Hyderabad police target celebrity promotions
The crackdown has extended beyond gaming firms. The Hyderabad Police On 19 March 2025, registered cases against 25 celebrities and influencers for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps. The list includes well-known names like Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Devarakonda, and Manchu Lakshmi.
The complaint, states that these celebrities allegedly accepted large sums of money to endorse betting platforms. These promotions have influenced many young individuals to invest in gambling apps, often leading to significant financial losses.
Police are investigating these endorsements under the Public Gambling Act of 1867, with possible charges of financial fraud and cheating. The Cyber Crime Division and Financial Cyber Crimes Wing are leading these probes to trace illegal money flows.
Formation of Special Investigation Team
Telangana has set up a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe online betting cases and suggest legal reforms. The team will investigate the operations of betting apps in the state and submit a report within three months. The move comes as part of the government’s commitment to enforcing a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy against illegal betting and gaming apps.
SIT to investigate online betting ecosystem
Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP) Jitender stated that the SIT will not only investigate specific cases but also examine the overall online betting ecosystem. The probe team will analyse how these apps operate, their financial transactions, and their impact on the citizens of Telangana. The DGP issued an order on 30 March 2025, appointing the SIT under the supervision of the Director General, CID/Additional DG, CID.
The SIT is authorised to seek assistance from experts, including financial analysts, law officers, auditors, and forensic investigators, to aid in its investigation. The government has mandated the team to evaluate the effectiveness of the Telangana Gaming Act 2017, which currently prohibits online betting in the state.
