Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in a money laundering case related to an online betting app, officials reported. The ED is
the economic law enforcement arm of the Indian government that investigates and enforces laws related to money-related crimes and foreign exchange violations.
Uthappa (39) arrived at the agency’s office around 11 am, according to a report by PTI. The ED will interrogate him and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) concerning a platform named 1xBet.
Uthappa joins former teammates Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, and some politicians and actors in those being investigated in the case. Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh has also been summoned by the ED for Tuesday in the same case.
The investigation focuses on the operations of the 1xBet betting app, part of the ED’s broader probe into such platforms accused of deceiving numerous people and investors of crores of rupees and evading substantial direct and indirect taxes.
1xBet, registered in Curacao, claims to be a globally recognized bookmaker with 18 years of betting experience. Customers can bet on thousands of sporting events via its website and app.
The PTI report said the ED aims to understand how celebrities were approached for endorsements, including contact persons in India, payment methods (cash through hawala or banking channels), and payment locations (India or abroad).
While recording statements from cricketers and actors, the agency is asking if they were aware that online betting and gaming are illegal in India. It has requested copies of their contracts and all relevant documentation from 1xBet.
The agency is also investigating if the money received by celebrities can be classified as “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA, sources say.
The Union government recently banned real-money online gaming in India through new legislation. Before the government ban, market analysis firms estimated there were about 22 crore Indian users on various online betting apps, with around 11 crore regular users.
Experts estimated India’s online betting app market to be worth over USD 100 billion, growing at 30 percent. The government informed Parliament it issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.
