High Stakes on the Tracks: Legal Battle Over Betting App Ads in Hyderabad Metro

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been lodged in the Telangana High Court for urgent removal of betting and gambling app advertisements from Hyderabad Metro trains and stations. The petitioner, N Nagur Babu, an advocate from KPHB Colony, has raised questions regarding the legality and ethics of these ads, which reportedly entice people into illegal betting networks.

 

The PIL also seeks the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe financial dealings between Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and foreign bookmaking websites like FairPlay, 1xBAT, and MyJackpot777. These websites are said to be based in foreign jurisdictions without a license to operate in India. The petitioner used past ED cases that resulted in ₹399 crore worth of such operations being seized.

 

Most prominent aspects of the PIL are:

 

Removal of Advertisement: Calling on authorities to remove all advertisements of betting apps from metro stations and trains.

 

Requests for Investigation: Calling for ED and CBI investigations into financial transactions between HMRL and offshore betting websites.

 

Legal Issues: Pointing out the illegality of advertising foreign betting websites in India.

 

Effect on Public: Emphasizing how such advertisements confuse commuters into illegal activity.

 

Past Cases: Referring to ED action against other similar websites for money laundering.

 

This comes as Telangana has increasingly come under the scanner for online gambling sites, with the authorities stepping up probes into their operations and promotional campaigns.

 

Source: Times of India