The Enforcement Directorate has intensified its crackdown on alleged offshore betting networks, attaching assets worth ₹11.14 crore belonging to former India cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in its investigation into the activities of 1xBet, a betting platform long under scrutiny for illegal operations in India.
Officials said a provisional attachment order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act covers Dhawan’s immovable property valued at ₹4.5 crore and a mutual fund investment of ₹6.64 crore held by Raina. The agency’s findings indicate that both players had “knowingly” entered endorsement agreements with foreign entities involved in promoting 1xBet and its surrogate platforms.
The action marks a significant escalation in the wider probe into 1xBet, which has been operating outside India’s legal framework. Despite being registered in Curacao, the platform has maintained a strong online presence in the Indian market through aggressive advertising, surrogate marketing and partnerships with high-profile individuals. Betting platforms of its kind are prohibited under Indian law, prompting the ED to examine suspected financial flows and potential violations of foreign exchange rules.
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The agency has questioned a number of celebrities in recent months, including former cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actors Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela, former Trinamool MP Mimi Chakraborty, and Bengali actor Ankush Hazra. Investigators are looking into endorsement arrangements, promotional campaigns and payments routed through offshore entities.
The ED is now mapping contractual documents, transaction trails and the alleged laundering of proceeds generated through illegal betting activities. Officials said the broader investigation aims to dismantle a network of surrogate companies and intermediaries believed to have facilitated the platform’s expansion into the Indian market.
1xBet, which describes itself as a global bookmaker with nearly two decades of experience, has faced regulatory action in several jurisdictions. In India, the government has repeatedly flagged surrogate betting advertisements as a threat to consumer protection, leading to stepped-up enforcement measures against platforms and influencers associated with them.
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