Govt blocks 22 'illegal' betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Sunday issued blocking orders against 22 "illegal" betting apps and websites upon a request by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) amid an investigation of an alleged money laundering case.

According to a government press note, the list of apps in the blocking order includes Mahadev Book, which is under investigation by the ED over an alleged "illegal" betting syndicate that offered a range of live games such as card games like poker, cricket, football, badminton, tennis, and others.

The development follows the ED's claims that it recorded a statement of a 'cash courier' who alleged that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received Rs 508 crore from the app promoters based in the UAE.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Chhattisgarh's state government did not alert the centre about the issue.

"Chhattisgarh Government had all the power to recommend the shutting down of a website/app under Sec 69A of the IT Act. However, they did not do so, and no such request is made by the State Government while they have been investigating it for the last 1.5 years. In fact, the first and only request has been received from ED and it has been acted upon. Nothing prevented Chhattisgarh Government from making similar requests,” the minister said.

For a long time, the central government has been trying to take down illegal betting apps based within India as well as offshore due to cases of duping, financial frauds, and money laundering. In April this year, MeitY notified new rules under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) to ensure only 'permissible' online real-money games could operate in India. However, the self-regulatory bodies (SRBs) to certify such permissible games and enforce the rules have not been notified so far.

The owners of Mahadev Book are currently in custody, according to the central government's statement. The accused in the case include Bhim Singh Yadav, working as a constable in the Chhattisgarh Police Force, and Asim Das, who have been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the commission of the offence of money laundering under Section 3, punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002.