1xBet Scam: Yuvraj Singh Appears Before ED for Questioning

Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday for questioning in a money laundering investigation tied to the online betting app 1xBet. The 43-year-old all-rounder, dressed in a white T-shirt and pants, arrived at the agency's central Delhi office around noon with his legal team. Officials confirmed that an investigating officer recorded Singh's statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), focusing on his alleged promotional activities for the app.

Influencer Anveshi Jain also presented herself for interrogation in the same case, marking another high-profile summons in the widening probe. Over recent weeks, the ED has questioned fellow ex-cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, and Robin Uthappa, as well as former Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra.

Actor Sonu Sood has been called to appear on Wednesday. The inquiry stems from allegations that 1xBet, a Curaçao-registered bookmaker operating for 18 years, duped users of crores of rupees while evading substantial direct and indirect taxes through illegal endorsements.

The ED's scrutiny centres on how celebrities were approached for promotions, including contact points in India, payment methods—such as cash via hawala or banking channels—and whether transactions occurred domestically or abroad. Sources indicate investigators are probing if endorsers knew online betting was illegal in India, demanding contracts, emails, and documentation from 1xBet. The agency is also examining the end-use of funds received by these figures to determine if they qualify as "proceeds of crime" under PMLA, potentially leading to asset attachments and a forthcoming chargesheet in court.

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This case aligns with broader government crackdowns on online gaming. In a recent legislative move, India banned real money online gaming, following estimates that the sector boasted over 22 crore users—half of them regular—with a market value exceeding USD 100 billion and 30% annual growth. From 2022 to June 2025, authorities issued 1,524 blocking orders against such platforms.

At a national ED meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, officials resolved to adopt "focused strategies" for probing financial crimes in betting and gaming, underscoring the risks of celebrity-backed schemes in this unregulated space.

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