ED Grills Uthappa On 1xBet Case
ED will question Uthappa and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case linked to a platform named 1xBet, the officials said
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2025-09-22 06:54 GMT
New Delhi: Former cricketer Robin Uthappa appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app.
Uthappa (39) reached the ED office around 11 am to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the betting platform 1xBet, sources said.
He is among a long list of cricketers, politicians, and actors under the agency’s scanner as part of a wider probe into illegal betting operations in India.
Over the past few weeks, the ED has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, along with former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra. The agency has also summoned former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood for questioning on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
The ongoing probe pertains to the operations of the 1xBet betting app, as part of the ED’s larger investigation into such platforms over allegations of duping investors of crores of rupees and evading substantial amounts of direct and indirect taxes.
According to the Curacao-registered company, 1xBet is a global bookmaker with 18 years in the betting industry. Its website and app, available in 70 languages, allow customers to place bets on thousands of sporting events.
Sources said more sportspersons, actors, online influencers, and celebrities are expected to be questioned in the coming days. The ED’s line of inquiry is to determine how celebrities were approached by the betting company for endorsements, who the nodal contacts were in India, the mode of payments (hawala or banking channels), and the place of payment (India or abroad).
The agency is also asking celebrities whether they were aware that online betting and gaming are illegal in India, and has sought copies of their contracts, emails, and all documentation related to 1xBet. It is also probing the end use of payments made to celebrities to determine if any qualify as “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA.
The Union government recently banned real-money online gaming through new legislation. At a recent national meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, the ED also decided to adopt focused strategies to investigate financial crimes linked to illegal betting and gaming.
The government informed Parliament that from 2022 until June 2025 it has issued 1,524 orders to block online betting and gambling platforms.