Key Points
- ED attached ₹7.93 crore assets from Yuvraj Singh (₹2.5 crore), Urvashi Rautela (₹2.02 crore), Sonu Sood (₹1 crore), Neha Sharma (₹1.26 crore), Mimi Chakraborty (₹59 lakh), Ankush Hazara (₹47.20 lakh), and Robin Uthappa (₹8.26 lakh)
- Total assets attached in the case now stand at ₹19.07 crore, including earlier seizures from Shikhar Dhawan (₹4.55 crore) and Suresh Raina (₹6.64 crore)
- 1xBet, 1xBat, and Sporting Lines operated illegal online betting in India without valid permission
- Celebrity endorsement payments were routed through foreign channels to conceal the source of funds
- ED discovered over 6,000 fake or benami accounts used for betting transactions
- Four payment gateways were raided and more than 60 bank accounts frozen with approximately ₹4 crore
- Investigation is ongoing, with more celebrities and influencers likely to come under scanner
In a major escalation of the 1X online betting app investigation, the Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth ₹7.93 crore belonging to prominent film stars and former cricketers. The latest action, conducted on December 18, 2025, targeted celebrities who endorsed the illegal betting platforms through social media campaigns and promotional videos. The attached assets include bank balances, fixed deposits, mutual fund investments, and luxury vehicles registered in the names of the celebrities and their family members.
Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh faces the highest amount in this tranche, with assets worth ₹2.5 crore frozen by the agency. The ED has attached his bank accounts in Mumbai and Chandigarh, along with a luxury SUV registered in his name. Actress Urvashi Rautela, who had her assets registered in her mother’s name to allegedly avoid detection, saw ₹2.02 crore worth of properties attached, including a high-end apartment in Mumbai’s suburbs.
The list includes other prominent names from entertainment and sports. Sonu Sood, known for his philanthropic work during the pandemic, had assets worth ₹1 crore attached, primarily in the form of bank deposits and a luxury car. Actress Neha Sharma, who actively promoted 1xBet through Instagram posts, faces attachment of ₹1.26 crore, while Bengali actress and former MP Mimi Chakraborty had ₹59 lakh frozen. Bengali actor Ankush Hazara’s assets worth ₹47.20 lakh and former cricketer Robin Uthappa’s ₹8.26 lakh were also attached.
The 1X Betting Empire: How the Illegal Operation Worked
The ED’s investigation has uncovered a sophisticated illegal betting network that operated under multiple brand names, 1xBet, 1xBat, and Sporting Lines, to evade detection. These platforms offered online betting on cricket matches, casino games, and virtual sports without obtaining any valid permission from Indian authorities. The operation reportedly started in 2021 and gained massive traction during the IPL seasons, when celebrity endorsements drove user registrations to over 2 million.
The platforms used a complex web of mirror websites and proxy servers hosted in countries like Russia, Cyprus, and Curacao to circumvent Indian laws. Users could deposit money through UPI, cryptocurrency, and international payment gateways, with minimum bets starting as low as ₹100. The ED found that the companies generated revenue exceeding ₹5,000 crore from Indian users alone, with profits routed through shell companies in tax havens.
The investigation revealed that the betting apps used advanced algorithms to manipulate odds and ensure house advantage, while offering attractive bonuses to lure new users. They operated call centers in Southeast Asia with Hindi-speaking agents who would assist users with deposits and withdrawals, creating an illusion of legitimacy.
Celebrity Endorsements and Foreign Payment Routes
The most damaging revelation from the ED investigation is how celebrities were roped in to lend credibility to the illegal operations. The agency claims that several A-list actors and cricketers entered into endorsement deals with the foreign companies operating these platforms. These celebrities posted promotional content on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, often without disclosing that these were paid advertisements, violating ASCI guidelines.
The payments to these celebrities were deliberately routed through foreign channels to conceal the true source of funds. The ED discovered that money was transferred from shell companies in Cyprus and Malta to intermediaries in Dubai and Singapore, before reaching the celebrities through hawala networks and foreign portfolio investment routes. This layering technique was designed to make the funds appear as legitimate foreign remittances for brand endorsements.
For instance, Yuvraj Singh allegedly received payments through a Dubai-based marketing firm that claimed to represent a “sports technology company.” The money was shown as payment for promoting “fantasy sports,” when it actually originated from betting proceeds. Similarly, Urvashi Rautela’s payments came through her mother’s account, which received funds from a Singapore-based entity.
The Benami Account Network and Payment Gateway Nexus
The ED’s probe uncovered a massive network of over 6,000 fake or benami accounts used for betting transactions across India. These accounts were opened using forged documents and identities of poor individuals who were paid ₹5,000-₹10,000 for their KYC documents. The money deposited in these accounts was repeatedly transferred through multiple payment gateways to make tracking difficult, a classic money laundering technique known as “layering.”
In a series of coordinated raids conducted on December 15-16, 2025, the ED searched four payment gateways, including two based in Gurgaon, one in Bangalore, and one in Hyderabad. These gateways were processing transactions for the betting apps while charging commissions of 3-5% per transaction. The agency froze more than 60 bank accounts linked to these gateways, seizing approximately ₹4 crore in float money.
The payment gateways allegedly failed to conduct proper due diligence on their merchants, violating RBI guidelines on payment aggregator licensing. They ignored red flags such as unusually high transaction volumes, frequent chargebacks, and merchant registrations from high-risk jurisdictions.
Previous Actions and Expanding Investigation
This is not the first time the ED has acted in this case. Earlier in 2025, the agency had attached assets worth ₹4.55 crore belonging to cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and ₹6.64 crore belonging to Suresh Raina. Both had promoted 1xBet extensively during IPL 2024, with Raina even appearing in a television commercial that aired during prime time.
The total assets attached in this case now stand at ₹19.07 crore, making it one of the largest celebrity endorsement fraud cases in India. The investigation is far from over, with ED sources indicating that summons have been issued to at least 15 more celebrities, including prominent Bollywood actors, reality TV stars, and social media influencers with millions of followers.
The agency is also investigating the role of talent management agencies that brokered these deals. Several top agencies in Mumbai are under scrutiny for facilitating connections between betting operators and celebrities while taking commissions of 20-30%. The ED has questioned executives from three major agencies and seized their financial records.
Legal Framework and Potential Consequences
The ED is operating under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, which allows for attachment of properties derived from proceeds of crime. The celebrities face potential charges of money laundering, which carry a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment and heavy fines. Additionally, they could be charged under the Information Technology Act for promoting illegal online activities.
The Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations are also being investigated, as the celebrities failed to disclose foreign remittances in their tax returns. The Income Tax Department has launched parallel proceedings to recover unpaid taxes on these endorsement fees, which were often under-reported.
Legal experts suggest that celebrities may argue they were unaware of the illegal nature of the platforms, but the ED’s evidence includes contract documents and email exchanges that show they were informed about the betting operations. The agency has recovered WhatsApp chats where operators explicitly discussed hiding the betting nature of the apps while planning promotional strategies.
Industry Impact and Regulatory Response
The crackdown has sent shockwaves through India’s celebrity endorsement industry, worth approximately ₹5,000 crore annually. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has issued fresh guidelines requiring celebrities to conduct due diligence before endorsing any online gaming or financial platform. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is considering making it mandatory for celebrities to obtain a no-objection certificate from relevant regulators before promoting online platforms.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended its association with several former cricketers under investigation and warned current players against endorsing unverified online platforms. The Indian Premier League has also terminated its content partnership with a digital platform that was found to be running surrogate advertisements for betting apps.
The Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association has advised its members to refrain from accepting endorsement deals from online gaming companies until regulatory clarity emerges. Several celebrities have already started terminating their contracts with betting and fantasy sports platforms, fearing legal repercussions.
What Happens Next, Investigation Timeline and Court Proceedings
The ED is expected to file a supplementary prosecution complaint in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court by January 10, 2026, detailing the fresh attachments and naming additional accused. The court will then issue a summons to the celebrities to appear and explain the source of funds used to purchase the attached assets.
Simultaneously, the agency is working with Interpol to issue Red Corner Notices against the masterminds operating from Russia and Cyprus. The Ministry of External Affairs has initiated extradition proceedings for three key operators who are Indian nationals but have taken citizenship in tax havens.
The investigation is also expanding to include cryptocurrency transactions used by the betting platforms. The ED has sought information from major crypto exchanges about wallets linked to the betting operators, uncovering transactions worth ₹500 crore in Bitcoin and Ethereum.
For the celebrities, the immediate future involves lengthy legal battles to prove their innocence and recover their frozen assets. They have engaged top criminal lawyers and are preparing to argue that they were merely brand ambassadors without knowledge of the illegal operations. However, the ED’s mounting evidence suggests that proving ignorance will be challenging.
