The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken decisive action against a group of high-profile celebrities for their alleged involvement in promoting illegal offshore betting operations. On Friday, the financial probe agency announced the provisional attachment of movable and immovable assets valued at Rs 7.93 crore belonging to former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actors Sonu Sood, Urvashi Rautela, Neha Sharma, Ankush Hazra, and former TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty.
The Core of the Allegations: Endorsing Illegal Betting Platforms
According to the ED, this action is a direct outcome of its ongoing investigation into the illicit activities of the offshore betting platform 1xBet and its surrogate brands, 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines. The agency stated that these platforms, which are not authorised to operate in India, aggressively targeted Indian audiences through social media campaigns, online videos, and print advertisements.
The investigation revealed that the named celebrities knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities linked to 1xBet. Payments for these endorsements were allegedly routed through overseas intermediaries in a deliberate attempt to conceal the illicit origin of the funds. The ED spokesperson emphasised that these payments were connected to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting and gambling activities.
A Pattern of Action: Previous Attachments in the Same Case
This is not the first major attachment in this sprawling case. The ED had previously frozen assets worth Rs 11.14 crore linked to former Indian cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina on October 6, 2025. The current action against a new set of celebrities underscores the wide net cast by the agency in probing the financial networks of the illegal betting syndicate.
The agency's case is built on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by various state police agencies against the operators of the 1xBet platform. These FIRs accused the platform of promoting and facilitating illegal online betting across the country.
ED's Stern Warning to Celebrities and the Public
The Enforcement Directorate issued a strong caution in the wake of these attachments. It highlighted that illegal betting and gambling platforms pose serious economic risks and often act as conduits for money laundering and other criminal enterprises. The public was urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious advertisements or transactions related to such platforms.
In a clear message to influencers and public figures, the ED warned, "Celebrities and social media influencers are advised that endorsing or promoting illegal betting or gambling platforms, including surrogate promotions, is a punishable offence." The agency stressed that the use of layered transactions abroad to disguise the illegal source of endorsement fees would not provide immunity from legal action.
The latest asset attachment marks a significant escalation in India's crackdown on the financial underpinnings of the illegal online betting industry, with a sharp focus on the role of celebrity endorsements in lending credibility to these unlawful operations.
