Online betting app case: Urvashi Rautela appears before ED for questioning

Urvashi Rautela, an actor and model, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday in connection with the money laundering case related to online betting and gaming platform 1xbet, according to official sources cited by PTI. The ED has started recording Rautela’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources.

Rautela is the Indian ambassador of the platform, which is based on the Caribbean island of Curacao. Earlier this month, the agency summoned several well-known figures in the broader money laundering investigation against illegal online betting platforms that use multiple platforms for surrogate advertisements and collect money from users, officials said.

The ED is looking into a number of websites that offer links to unlawful betting and gaming, as well as instances of these websites’ ads appearing on social media and app stores.

Tech companies that received funding for ads on these platforms, including Google and Meta representatives, have been questioned by the government. Celebrities are being called in by the investigation agency to answer questions about their connections to betting apps, any endorsement fees they may have received, and how they communicate with them.

Cricket players Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, and Shikhar Dhawan have all been questioned by the ED in the past. Actors Sonu Sood, Ankush Hazra, and Mimi Chakraborty—a former TMC MP—were also called in by the agency.

According to sources cited by PTI, the ED’s investigation into the money laundering case involving the 1xBet platform has revealed that some of the celebrities who promoted the service used the money they got to purchase assets.

According to the anti-money laundering legislation, such assets will be considered “proceeds of crime.” As a result, it is anticipated that the ED will seize the supposedly crore-dollar assets of entertainers and athletes. According to the 1xBet platform’s website, it has been in the business for 18 years and is a well-known bookmaker worldwide. It allows users to wager on thousands of sporting events. Since the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act was introduced by the Union Government, advertisements for online money games are no longer allowed.