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From Fame to Financial Scrutiny, Where Digital Fame Overlaps With Illegal Betting, Gaming and Opaque Money Flows.
Written By HARISH MANAV/ The News Dose.Com
Chandigarh: The recent action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against YouTuber and social media influencer Anurag Dwivedi has brought into sharp focus a widening crackdown on India’s rapidly expanding influencer economy—particularly where digital fame overlaps with illegal betting, gaming and opaque money flows.
Only weeks ago, Dwivedi’s native Khajur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district was abuzz with talk of his lavish destination wedding in Dubai, where several family members and associates were reportedly flown in. That display of sudden wealth soon gave way to scrutiny when ED teams carried out searches at premises allegedly linked to him in Lucknow, Unnao and Delhi as part of an investigation into illegal online betting and gambling operations.
Luxury, Likes and Laundering Allegations
According to the ED, searches at 10 locations led to the seizure of high-end vehicles, including a Lamborghini Urus, along with cash, digital devices and documents. Movable assets worth about ₹ three crore were frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Investigators allege that Dwivedi invested in real estate in Dubai through hawala channels and routed proceeds of crime via mule bank accounts and layered financial arrangements.
A senior ED official, speaking to The News Dose on condition of anonymity, said, “The influencer economy has created new laundering channels. Money earned from illegal platforms is often masked as endorsement income and quickly moved across accounts and borders.”
Dwivedi, who has over 7 million YouTube subscribers and 2.4 million Instagram followers, projects himself as a “fantasy cricket expert” who rose from a ₹300 starting point to extraordinary success. The ED alleges he actively promoted illegal online betting platforms through videos that influenced followers to place bets, while receiving large sums without legitimate commercial justification. He is currently stated to be in Dubai and has not appeared before the agency despite multiple summonses.
A Broader Pattern, Not a Lone Case
Officials stress that Dwivedi’s case is not an exception. Over the past two years, enforcement agencies have been quietly mapping how YouTubers, Instagram personalities and Telegram channel operators are allegedly used to legitimise illegal betting and gaming networks.
Another senior official said, “What we are seeing is a pattern—massive digital reach being monetised to normalise illegal platforms. These influencers are not just advertisers; in several cases, they are active facilitators.”
According to officials, investigations have revealed instances in which payments were split across family members’ accounts, shell firms, or moved overseas to avoid detection. Several influencers, though not all high-profile, are currently under examination for potential violations of money-laundering laws.
Social Impact Beyond Financial Crime
In Dwivedi’s village, residents allege that his conspicuous wealth and luxury lifestyle influenced local youth to drop out of school, hoping to replicate his success. While such claims remain anecdotal, ED officials say the social impact is also being considered. “The concern is not just illegal money,” an official said. “It is also about how unverified digital success stories mislead young audiences into risky and unlawful activities.”
What the ED Says About the Case
The ED’s probe stems from an FIR registered by West Bengal Police into illegal online betting operations allegedly run through Telegram channels and digital panels. The agency claims Dwivedi played a “significant role” in promoting and facilitating, and that the proceeds were eventually invested in overseas assets, particularly in Dubai. Three arrests have already been made, and a prosecution complaint has been filed before a special PMLA court in Kolkata. Further investigation is ongoing. As one senior official summed it up: “Digital popularity does not place anyone above the law. If influence is used to generate or legitimise illegal money, enforcement action will follow—no matter how large the follower base.”
