Fantasy sports apps: Madras HC issues notices to Kohli, Ganguly

Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly

The Madras High Court on Tuesday issued notices to India captain Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), for advertising for fantasy sports apps that have made youngsters gamble on money.

The case was filed by Advocate Mohammed Rizvi after some youngsters died in Tamil Nadu after losing money in fantasy cricket league on the apps.

While Ganguly endorses fantasy league app My11Circle, Kohli promotes online gaming app Mobile Premier League. There are other cricketers, too, involved in the promotion of fantasy leagues. Dream11 is the official sponsor of the ongoing Indian Premier League as well as the official partner of the BCCI.

"The apps are in the name of IPL teams such as Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR) and some apps are also in the name of state's names. Are these teams playing on behalf of the state," asked the Madurai bench of the Madras HC, which also blamed the owners of using celebrities to earn money through these apps.

Earlier, in September, a Special Leave Petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging a Rajasthan High Court order that upheld the legality of Dream11. The HC had also said that Rajasthan government did not violate any laws by allowing the company to operate.

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