Crackdown On Betting Apps: ED Queries Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Raina, Sonu Sood Over Endorsements — Profit Exclusive

The Enforcement Directorate has widened its investigation into illegal online betting platforms, focusing on endorsements by former cricketers and film personalities.

Former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, along with actor Sonu Sood and actress Urvashi Rautela, have been questioned as part of an ongoing probe into promotional links with banned betting platforms including 1xBet, FairPlay, Parimatch and Lotus365, according to top ED officials.

"These betting platforms are using surrogate names like 1xbat and 1xbat sporting lines in advertising campaigns. The ads often include QR codes that redirect users to betting sites—blatantly violating Indian law,” a top official told NDTV Profit.

Preliminary findings suggest these endorsements may breach multiple Indian laws, including the Information Technology (IT) Act, the Foreign Exchange Management Act, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, and the Benami Transactions Act, as well as advisories issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

“Some celebrities have already been issued notices, while others are likely to be issued soon,” the official added.

Media representatives for Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina declined to comment. Requests for responses from Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela remained unanswered at the time of publication.

ED officials said the platforms often promote themselves as skill-based games but operate on luck-based outcomes, using rigged algorithms that classify them as gambling operations under Indian law.

“These platforms have gained massive visibility by partnering with celebrities and influencers—even in defiance of explicit government bans,” the official noted, pointing to 1xBet as one of the most aggressively promoted entities.

The investigation has also reached media organisations alleged to have published surrogate advertisements in return for significant payouts. The ED has tracked over Rs 50 crore paid to media outlets and advertising firms, with more transactions under review.

ED officials created dummy user accounts to track transactions on these platforms. They found that benami and mule accounts are frequently used, with most remaining active for only a few hours. By the time authorities flag virtual payment addresses and request data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the funds are typically withdrawn or redirected.

ED estimates place India’s illegal online betting market at over $100 billion, growing at 30% annually. Between January and March 2025, these platforms received more than 1.6 billion visits. Tax evasion from these operations is estimated at Rs 27,000 crore per year.

Officials believe these apps now reach around 22 crore Indian users, with roughly 11 crore being regular participants. ED said celebrity involvement has led many users to misidentify gambling platforms as legitimate entertainment.

A public interest litigation filed in Telangana reports over 1,023 suicides linked to online betting losses. Victims include students, homemakers, daily wage earners and unemployed youth.

Investigators said schoolchildren are skipping classes to bet, college students are using tuition money to gamble, and many families only discover the financial damage once a crisis occurs.