Robin Uthappa questioned for 8+ hours by ED under PMLA in 1xBet money laundering case
ED probes celebrity endorsements, payment modes, proceeds of crime
Online betting apps banned; sector valued at USD 100B with 22 crore users
ED Questions Robin Uthappa In 1xBet Money Laundering Case
Robin Uthappa grilled by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 1xBet money laundering case; celebrity payments and endorsements under scanner
Summary
Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa spent over eight hours on Monday answering the Enforcement Directorate’s questions in a money laundering case linked to the online betting platform 1xBet.
His statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The 39-year-old arrived at the ED office around 11 am and left at 7:30 pm. The agency has previously questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra in connection with the probe.
Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood are scheduled to appear before the ED on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
The investigation into 1xBet is part of a wider ED probe into online betting platforms accused of duping users of crores of rupees while evading substantial taxes. According to 1xBet, the Curacao-registered company is a globally recognized bookmaker with 18 years in the industry, allowing bets on thousands of sporting events in 70 languages.
The agency is also looking at the end use of money received by the celebrities to see if any of it qualifies as "proceeds of crime" under the PMLA, according to PTI sources.
The ED is probing how the celebrities were approached for endorsements, the nodal person(s) for contact in India, the mode of payment (cash through hawala or banking channel), and the place of the payment (in India or abroad), among other details. Officials have also asked for copies of contracts and all relevant documentation with 1xBet.
The Union government recently banned real-money online gaming, and the ED has reportedly decided to adopt "focused strategies" to investigate financial crimes in this sector linked to illegal betting and gaming.
Before the ban, market estimates suggested around 22 crore Indians used online betting apps, with half being regular users. The sector was valued at over USD 100 billion and growing at 30% annually. The government has told Parliament that 1,524 orders were issued between 2022 and June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.
The investigation marks a significant step in the ED’s crackdown on illegal online betting operations in India.
With PTI Inputs
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