Cricketers, celebrities under ED scanner for promoting illegal betting apps

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has widened its probe into illegal online betting platforms to include celebrity endorsements, questioning cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, as well as actor Urvashi Rautela, over their alleged promotion of banned entities such as 1xBet.

According to the report of NDTV Profit, these celebrities endorsed surrogate versions of the platform, such as 1xBat, which used web links and QR codes to redirect users to illegal betting portals, in violation of Indian laws. The ED states these platforms posed as hosts of skill-based games but employed manipulated algorithms, categorising them as gambling operations under current legal frameworks.

“By partnering with celebrities... platforms like 1xBet gained massive visibility and are cheating people,” the report noted. The investigation also includes scrutiny of media outlets, with the ED reporting that over Rs 50 crore was paid to various companies to run advertising campaigns for these platforms.

The report further indicates that multiple laws may have been breached, including the Information Technology (IT) Act, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and various government notifications.

Representatives for Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina declined to comment, while Urvashi Rautela and actor Sonu Sood did not respond to NDTV Profit’s queries.

This probe forms part of a broader crackdown on illegal betting apps. In May, Telangana Police filed cases against 25 actors, including Rana Daggubati and Prakash Raj. “Thousands of lakhs of rupees are involved in these illegal platforms... it is leading families into distress, especially that of middle-class and lower middle-class,” a complainant told the police.

In response, both Daggubati and Raj denied wrongdoing, asserting they no longer endorse the platforms and did so only in regions where skill-based games are legally permitted. Daggubati’s spokesperson also highlighted that the Supreme Court has previously recognised skill-based online games as distinct from gambling.

This ongoing investigation also brings to mind the Mahadev online betting case, in which promoters allegedly siphoned illegal proceeds exceeding Rs 6,000 crore. The case, linked to high-level politicians and officials in Chhattisgarh, including former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, continues to unfold. Baghel has denied involvement, calling the allegations politically motivated.

Industry analysts estimate the illegal betting app ecosystem in India is valued at over $100 billion, growing by 30 per cent annually. Despite enforcement efforts, approximately 11 crore Indians reportedly use these apps daily, with financial fraud linked to over 1,000 suicides, including those of school students.