Telangana CM Revanth announces SIT to crack down on online betting app including Rummy

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy vows to crack down on online betting apps, announces SIT probe in Assembly.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced plans to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate cases related to online betting apps, including rummy. He made this announcement in the Assembly on Tuesday (March 26, 2025), saying that the existing law aimed at curbing this menace would be amended if required, and comprehensive measures would be put in place to address the issue that is ruining the lives of many innocent people of late. 

While addressing the Assembly on the law-and-order situation in the State, Mr. Reddy - who also holds Home Minister portfolio - said that the government would take stringent measures to checkdigital betting platforms, which he described as an evolving international criminal network. He accused the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government of failing to implement an act passed during their rule in 2017 to curb online gambling and betting. 

“The government has decided to deal strictly with online betting and rummy games,” Mr. Reddy said. “To prevent and prohibit these activities, we will constitute a SIT comprising officials from the CBCID [Crime Branch of Crime Investigation Department] or other wings, after consulting senior officials on this serious issue”. He also stressed that penalties for crimes related to online betting would be revised to ensure maximum punishment for the guilty, saying that the maximum punishment for the guilty as per the present law is only two years imprisonment.  

Mr. Reddy expressed concerns over the rising influence of digital betting applications and assured that those found promoting or managing such platforms would face strict legal consequences.

“Merely questioning those who promote betting Apps will not solve the issue as it is spread across the States and nations,” Mr. Reddy added. “We need a strong investigative mechanism to lay a permanent barrier.” He criticised the alleged attempts by the BRS party to portray Telangana as a ‘lawless State‘, saying that his government had been proactive in maintaining law and order. 

The Chief Minister dismissed allegations that lawlessness was driving away investments, describing such claims as politically motivated. Taking a dig at the opposition, he accused the BRS leaders of acting as if they could not survive without power.  He also detailed major cases under BRS government, like rape and murder of a veterinary doctor, broad daylight murder of advocate couple from Manthani and others in which the kin of BRS leaders were involved.

“We have been ruling for 15 months without any disruption to law and order,” Mr. Reddy remarked. “Then why such impatience? Elections will come only in 2028, not before.” He assured that his government would address constituency-level concerns irrespective of the party affiliation of the MLAs, citing recent discussions with MLAs Padma Rao, Bandla Krishna Mohan and others on developmental issues.