Hyderabad Metro Scraps Betting App Ads After Court Notice—Here’s What Happened

In response to a notice from the Telangana High Court, Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) has taken down all of its adverts for betting apps. A public interest lawsuit (PIL) that expressed concerns over the advertising of illicit offshore betting platforms, such as 1xBET, Fairplay, and Myjackpot777, prompted the action.

During a hearing on April 29, Advocate General A. Sudharshan Reddy, representing the government, informed the court that all such ads had been removed, and the metro premises were now free of any content encouraging these betting apps.

The court was further informed that under Clause 17.5 of the agreement between HMRL and its concessionaire, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the responsibility for advertising rights rests with L&T. After the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) flagged the presence of betting-related advertisements, HMRL immediately instructed L&T to remove them from all metro spaces.

Acknowledging these developments, the Telangana High Court postponed further proceedings in the matter until after the summer vacation.