ED Interrogates Shikhar Dhawan For 8 Hours In Online Betting App-Linked Money Laundering Case

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday interrogated former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan for eight hours, in connection to its money laundering probe related to an online betting app, NDTV reported, citing sources.

The federal agency recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The investigation is linked to an 'illegal' betting app named 1xBet.

During the interrogation, ED officials received information from Dhawan that is crucial to further investigate the money trail in the case, persons privy to the matter told NDTV.

The agency now plans to summon some social media influencers and YouTubers, who are accused of promoting online betting apps, in the coming days, the persons further added.

Dhawan is understood to have been linked to the app through certain endorsements, news agency PTI reported earlier in the day, adding that the ED wanted to understand the 39-year-old's links with 1xBet during the questioning.

The ED 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.

Last month, former cricketer Suresh Raina was questioned in this case by the probe agency.

The central government has banned real-money online gaming by bringing a legislation recently. According to estimates by market analysis firms and probe agencies, there are about 22 crore Indian users in various such online betting apps out of which half (about 11 crore) are regular users, PTI reported.

The online betting app market in India is worth over $100 billion which is growing at the rate of 30%, according to experts.

The government recently told Parliament that it has issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.

(With PTI inputs)