The case related to illegal online betting platforms has been reopened by the Enforcement Directorate, and the investigation has been focused on endorsements by former cricketers and film personalities.
According to the reports, the ongoing probe has been extended towards former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, and Harbhajan Singh, along with actor Sonu Sood and actress Urvashi Rautela. Notably, the investigation has been focused on the promotional links with banned betting platforms, including 1xBet, FairPlay, Parimatch, and Lotus365.
According to the reports by NDTV Profit, a top official has outlined, “These betting platforms are using surrogate names like 1xbat and 1xbat sporting lines in advertising campaigns. The ads often include QR codes that redirect users to betting sites—blatantly violating Indian law.”
The preliminary information by the authorities has revealed that such endorsements will breach multiple Indian laws, such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Benami Transactions Act, the Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Along with this, it will be against the advisories issued under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
While highlighting the same, the officials mentioned, “Some celebrities have already been issued notices, while others are likely to be issued soon.”
It is to be noted that the media representatives for Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina have declined to give any comment on the matter. Along with this, the responses from Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood, and Urvashi Rautela also remained unanswered.
ED officials stated that the platforms typically market themselves as skill games but are actually based on chance and use manipulated algorithms that qualify them as gambling operations under Indian legislation.
"These platforms have achieved tremendous visibility through collaborations with celebrities and influencers—even in the face of explicit government prohibitions," the official added, citing 1xBet as one of the most rampantly advertised entities.
The probe has also reached media houses accused of publishing surrogate ads in exchange for handsome payments. Over Rs 50 crore paid to media houses and ad agencies has been traced by the ED, with additional transactions under scrutiny.
How the Scam Works ED officials made fake user accounts to monitor transactions on these websites. They noticed that benami and mule accounts are commonly used, with a majority of them remaining live for a few hours only. By the time the authorities mark virtual payment addresses and seek information from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the money is usually withdrawn or diverted.
Huge Size and Social Consequences ED estimates put India's illicit online gambling market over $100 billion in size, expanding at 30% per annum. Between January and March 2025, these apps got over 1.6 billion visits. Tax avoidance by these operations is estimated at Rs 27,000 crore annually. The authorities feel these apps now have access to some 22 crore Indian users, of which some 11 crore are participants on a regular basis. ED stated celebrity endorsements have caused the majority of users to confuse gambling websites with genuine entertainment.
A public interest litigation filed in Telangana mentions more than 1,023 suicides attributed to online betting loss. Victims range from students to homemakers, daily wage workers, and unemployed youth. Investigators explained school kids were missing classes to bet, college students were using tuition fees to gamble, and numerous families only find out about the financial harm when a crisis happens.