No Smoke Without Fire: ED Attaches ₹7.93 Crore Assets of Top Cricketers and Film Stars in Illegal Betting Probe

Several high-profile celebrities have landed in serious legal trouble after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹7.93 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in connection with its ongoing investigation into illegal online betting platforms.

Those named include cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, and actors Urvashi Rautela, Sonu Sood, Mimi Chakraborty, Ankush Hazra and Neha Sharma.

This action follows an earlier attachment on October 6, when the ED froze assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina in the same case, indicating a widening crackdown on celebrities allegedly linked to the promotion of illegal betting operations.

The Core Allegation: Illegal Betting and Money Laundering

According to the ED, the attachments stem from its investigation into the offshore betting platform 1xBet and its surrogate brands 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.

Multiple state police agencies across India had earlier registered FIRs against the operators of these platforms for allegedly promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling activities in violation of Indian law.

The ED’s probe has reportedly revealed that these platforms targeted Indian users despite lacking authorisation to operate in the country.

To bypass legal scrutiny, the operators allegedly used surrogate branding, aggressive social media campaigns, online videos, and print advertisements.

Why Each Celebrity’s Assets Were Attached (As Alleged by ED)

The ED has clarified that the action against celebrities is based on their alleged knowing participation in endorsement and promotional activities for these illegal platforms, and on the financial trails uncovered during the investigation:

• Yuvraj Singh (Cricketer):
  Allegedly entered into endorsement agreements linked to 1xBet-associated foreign entities and received payments routed through overseas intermediaries. The ED claims these payments were part of layered transactions intended to disguise proceeds of crime generated through illegal betting.
• Robin Uthappa (Cricketer):
  Accused of promoting surrogate betting brands connected to 1xBet, with endorsement fees allegedly structured through foreign channels to conceal the illicit source of funds.
• Urvashi Rautela (Actor):
  Allegedly endorsed online betting-related platforms connected to 1xBet and received remuneration through offshore entities, which the ED says were used to launder betting proceeds.
• Sonu Sood (Actor):
  The agency claims he participated in promotional campaigns for surrogate betting platforms and received payments that were allegedly linked to proceeds of crime from illegal gambling operations.
• Mimi Chakraborty (Actor/MP):
  Allegedly associated with advertisements and endorsements of betting-linked platforms, with payments routed through layered international transactions, now under scrutiny for money laundering.
• Ankush Hazra (Actor):
  Accused of endorsing surrogate brands of 1xBet aimed at Indian audiences, allegedly in return for payments structured abroad to mask their illegal origin.
• Neha Sharma (Actor):
  Allegedly promoted betting-related platforms through digital and media campaigns, receiving endorsement fees that the ED says are traceable to illegal betting proceeds.

Earlier, similar allegations had been levelled against Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, whose assets were attached in October for allegedly endorsing the same betting ecosystem and accepting payments routed through foreign entities.

ED’s Warning and Broader Implications

The ED has cautioned that illegal betting and gambling platforms pose serious economic and social risks.

Such platforms, it said, often act as conduits for money laundering, hawala transactions and other organised criminal activities.

In a clear warning to public figures, the agency stated that endorsing or promoting illegal betting or gambling platforms—including surrogate advertising—is a punishable offence under Indian law.

Celebrities and social media influencers, the ED emphasised, cannot claim ignorance when promotional deals are structured through opaque offshore channels.

The agency has also urged citizens to report suspicious advertisements, digital campaigns or financial transactions linked to illegal betting platforms, as the investigation remains ongoing and further action is likely.

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