The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is intensifying its investigation into illegal online betting platforms, with potential asset attachments looming for celebrities who endorsed these activities. The probe centers on the alleged laundering of illegal proceeds from platforms like 1xBet, with the ED considering attaching properties of those linked to cases where money trails have been established.
Several celebrities, including former cricketers and film stars, have been under scrutiny for their association with these betting platforms. Some celebrities, such as Sonu Sood, have appeared before the ED for questioning, while others, including Urvashi Rautela, have been summoned. Previously, cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa, and Yuvraj Singh, along with actress and ex-TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty, have also appeared and recorded statements regarding fees received for endorsing these activities.
The ED's investigation suggests that some celebrities utilized endorsement fees to acquire assets, which the agency considers "proceeds of crime" under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency is expected to issue provisional attachment orders for movable and immovable properties, including those located abroad, such as in the UAE. The valuation of these assets is currently underway.
Official sources indicate that after issuing attachment orders, they will be sent to the Adjudicating Authority under the PMLA for confirmation. Once approved, a chargesheet will be filed in a designated court for confiscation of these assets. The ED is also likely to name celebrities as accused in the chargesheet for endorsing illegal activities.
The ED's line of questioning for the celebrities has included inquiries about how they were contacted by the betting companies, the identity of nodal persons in India, the mode of payment (cash through hawala or banking channels), and the location of payments (India or abroad). Celebrities were also asked if they were aware that online betting and gaming were illegal in India.
The ED is also investigating the promoters and associates of 1xBet for allegedly running an illegal betting and gambling racket and siphoning the proceeds out of India. Attachment of assets in foreign countries is also likely where the agency has found trails of proceeds of crime.
In a similar case involving the Fairplay betting app, the ED had previously attached assets worth over Rs 307 crore in Dubai, including land, villas, and bank balances linked to the accused. Fairplay was allegedly involved in the illegal broadcast of cricket matches and online gambling.
The crackdown on illegal betting apps comes as the Indian government is working to regulate the online gaming industry. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was introduced to prohibit certain online games and close loopholes exploited by apps that disguise themselves as "skill-based" platforms operating from abroad. The ED estimates that illegal betting apps have garnered around 1 billion hits, creating a market as large as $100 billion.
