ED attaches ₹11 cr assets of Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan in betting case

The ED has alleged that both players "knowingly" entered endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote an illegal betting platform, 1xBet, and its associated platforms

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan as part of its investigation connected to the operations of an alleged illegal betting platform, PTI reported on Thursday, citing official sources.

 

According to the report, a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been issued covering an immovable property owned by Dhawan valued at ₹4.5 crore and a mutual fund investment of Raina worth ₹6.64 crore. 

 

What is 1xBet and what are the allegations?

The betting platform in question is "1xBet", which is registered in Curacao, and describes itself as a globally-recognised bookmaker with 18 years in the betting industry and 400,000 users.

 

 

The ED has alleged that both players “knowingly” entered endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet and its associated platforms, the report added. 

Who else has been questioned in the case?

The attachment of assets follows shortly after Raina and Dhawan were questioned by the agency. The ED has also questioned other former cricketers, including Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, as well as actors Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra in connection with the case, the report added.

 

Government crackdown on illegal gaming platforms

The action also comes soon after the Centre enacted the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which bans real-money online gaming across India. In August, the government informed Parliament that between 2022 and June 2025, it had issued 1,524 orders to block online betting and gambling platforms.