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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former India cricketers Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh, along with Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, for questioning in its ongoing probe into the illegal online betting platform 1xBet, a senior official said on Tuesday.
Uthappa has been directed to appear before the agency in Delhi on September 22, Yuvraj on September 23, and Sood on September 24. Their statements will be recorded under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as investigators examine the role of celebrities and influencers in promoting the betting platform, the official confirmed.
The summonses followed the agency’s notice to actress Urvashi Rautela, who was asked to appear before officials but has yet to depose, sources added. Earlier, former cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina were also questioned over their promotional contracts and financial dealings linked to 1xBet.
The ED’s investigation centres on allegations that 1xBet, which is banned in India, laundered funds, evaded taxes, and manipulated its systems to defraud users. Officials are probing whether promotional campaigns by high-profile public figures helped the platform expand its reach and lure new players, many of whom reportedly suffered heavy financial losses.
The crackdown forms part of a larger effort to curb illegal betting and real-money gaming apps that have proliferated in recent years. The Union Government has recently enacted legislation banning such platforms, citing their damaging social and financial impact, particularly on young users.
Agency sources indicated that more celebrities and influencers may be summoned in the coming weeks as investigators map money trails and networks that sustained the app’s operations across the country.
