A social activist in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in a district court against former Indian cricket captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, cricketers Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, actor Aamir Khan, and others, accusing them of encouraging gambling.
Notably, Sourav Ganguly endorses the My Circle 11 fantasy gaming app, while Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Amir Khan, R Madhavan, and others are seen in the Dream 11 fantasy gaming advertisements being played during the IPL 2023 matches.
In the petition moved in the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, Tammanah Hashmi claimed that these sportsmen and actors are playing with the present and future of youths by making them involve themselves in gambling through various online games related to the Indian Premier League.
They Are Misleading The Youths Of The Country: Activists Alleges Celebrities Pushing Youngsters Into Gambling
One must have seen that in the midst of the IPL. There are advertisements for many online fantasy team-building apps, from Bollywood actors to cricketers themselves. Activist alleges cricketers and actors are encouraging people to bet.
“They are misleading the youths of the country and forcing them to get involved in gambling. They are luring them with attractive prizes but it can also make a youth become addicted to gambling. The cricket and film icons are promoting various gaming shows and encouraging people to make teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Some of them have won the prizes but it also has consequences of people becoming an addict of gambling as well,” the activist was quoted by IANS.
The next hearing of this case is scheduled on April 22. Hashmi has filed several PILs against prominent persons on various issues in the past.