Page 2 - Betting

ED attaches Dubai assets, India deposits worth ₹307 cr in betting case

Land, villas and flats in Dubai and bank deposits in India worth Rs 307 crore have been attached under the anti-money laundering law in an online betting and broadcasting case linked to a platform named Fairplay, the ED said on Monday. The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Cyber wing of the Mumbai Police. The complaint was registered on the basis of a communication sent by Viacom18 Media against Fairplay and others, alleging revenue loss of more than Rs 100 crore to the former company due to violation of the Information Technology (IT) and Copyright Act. Subsequently, many other FIRs against various entities, including Fairplay and its associates, for "illegal" online betting were tagged together for investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. A provisional order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 19 to attach land, villas and flats located in Dubai and bank deposits kept in India. These properties

Cricketer Robin Uthappa appears before ED in online betting app case

Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an online betting app, officials said. Uthappa (39) reached the agency's office here around 11 am. The ED will question him and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case linked to a platform named 1xBet, the officials said. The federal probe agency has questioned former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan apart from former TMC MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra over the last few weeks as part of this investigation. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh and actor Sonu Sood have been summoned for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the ED in the same case. The probe pertains to the operations of the 1xBet betting app as part of the ED's wider probe against such platforms on allegations of duping numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees and reportedly evadin

Offshore betting apps use social media, surrogate ads to bypass India ban

Despite a ban on real money games, Indian investigators say offshore betting apps continue to operate by exploiting digital media, social media influencers and surrogate ads

Betting app PMLA case: Former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty appears before ED

Former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty on Monday appeared before the ED for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged illegal betting app, officials said. The statement of Chakraborty, 36, is being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case related to an "illegal" betting app named 1xBet. The ex-MP and actor is understood to be linked to the app through certain endorsements and financial transactions. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) wants to understand her links with this app during the questioning. The agency is probing multiple such cases involving illegal betting apps that are alleged to have duped numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees or have evaded a huge amount of taxes. Former cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan have been questioned by the federal probe agency in this case earlier. Actor Urvashi Rautela, 31, has been asked to depose on Tuesday in this case by the ED. Rautela is 1xBet's Indian ...

UPI gaming spends fall 23% in August after ban on real money games

UPI gaming spends fell sharply in August with volumes down 23% and value down 26% after the Online Gaming Act banned real money games such as rummy, poker and fantasy sports

Former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan summoned by ED in illegal betting app case

Last month, former cricketer Suresh Raina was questioned by the agency in the same case. The agency is probing multiple cases involving illegal apps that are alleged to have duped several people

Games24x7, Baazi among RMG firms hit by layoffs after online gaming ban

India's new online gaming law banning RMG formats such as ludo, poker and rummy has forced companies including Games24x7 and Baazi Games to lay off large parts of their workforce

Allow gaming cos perform legitimate transactions: Meity to banks, fintechs

MeitY has told banks and fintechs to process refunds, vendor payments and GST filings for gaming companies, while ensuring smooth user transition after the real-money gaming ban

'Will not challenge new law': Rummy operator Gameskraft suspends RMG ops

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act bans all online money games while promoting e-sports and social gaming

ED arrests Karnataka MLA Veerendra in illegal betting racket case

The crackdown led to the recovery of nearly ₹12 crore in cash, including ₹1 crore in foreign currency, gold worth ₹6 crore, about 10 kg of silver, and four luxury cars

MeitY blocked 1,298 illegal gaming sites but offshore firms still thrive

Despite MeitY blocking nearly 1,300 illegal gaming sites, offshore betting and gambling platforms continue to operate in India through apps, VPNs and social media channels

Nazara may write down PokerBaazi stake amid looming online betting ban

Nazara Technologies Ltd's investment in PokerBaazi stands to be written down or provisioned for now, Chief Executive Officer Nitish Mittersain said on Thursday

Govt should have considered forward-looking options for money games

Predictably, the move has sent the online gaming industry into a tizzy. As reports suggest, there are thousands of high-skill jobs at stake

Online Gaming Bill: Lok Sabha passes legislation to ban online money games

The Bill was passed by a voice vote after brief remarks by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, amid protests from Opposition lawmakers

Explainer: Online real money games and why govt is seeking to ban them

If passed, the online gaming bill could shut down the RMG industry, which employs 200,000 people and contributes ₹20,000 crore in GST annually

Supreme Court agrees to hear plea seeking to ban illegal betting apps

The Supreme Court agrees to hear a PIL seeking a ban on illegal betting and online real-money gaming apps, with a focus on protecting Indian youth and enforcing regulatory measures

Prakash Raj appears before ED in Hyderabad in online betting probe

Actor Prakash Raj on Wednesday appeared before the ED officials here for questioning in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms. The actor, popular in Telugu, Kannada and other South Indian films, appeared before officials of the probe agency at its zonal office here. Raj, who was questioned for about four hours, said he did the assignment with the apps in 2016, but did not take any money for it on moral grounds. He also said he had discontinued promoting the apps. "I gave them information that I had not received any money (for the promotion). Because I did not want to take any money for that. They (ED officials) have taken all the details," he told reporters. Asked if the investigation is politically motivated, he replied in the negative. "Officers are doing their job. As a citizen, I am supposed to cooperate and answer their questions. There is no witch-hunting or political motivation in this," he said. Raj added that he has no

Betting app case: ED summons Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda & others

ED has summoned Rana Daggubati, Vijay Deverakonda, and Prakash Raj in a money laundering probe linked to illegal betting app promotions. The case involves 29 actors, influencers, and YouTubers

Meta, Google skip ED summons in betting probe, called again on Jul 28

Executives of tech giants Meta and Google did not depose before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as scheduled on Monday and have now been given fresh summons for July 28 in a money laundering case linked to promotion of "illegal" online betting and gambling platforms, official sources said. It is understood that the representatives of the two companies sought deferment of the July 21 summons, saying they need time to collect relevant information and documents before they present themselves for questioning and recording of their statements at the federal probe agency. Sources said the executives have been given a one-week extension and asked to depose on July 28. Once they depose, their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. There was no immediate response from the two companies. The federal agency is probing multiple platforms hosting illegal betting and gambling links, including instances of advertisements placed for the

ED summons Google, Meta on July 21 over ads linked to betting apps

The agency is examining the role of digital platforms in enabling the promotion of these illegal apps, which are under scrutiny for potential violations of the PMLA