The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth ₹7.93 crore belonging to prominent cricketers and film personalities, including Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela, in connection with its investigation into the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet, officials said on Friday.
Besides Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela, the attachment also covers assets of Mimi Chakraborty, Robin Uthappa, Ankush Hazra and Neha Sharma, the agency said.
The ED alleged that the celebrities knowingly entered endorsement agreements with foreign entities to promote 1xBet in India. These promotions were carried out using surrogate advertisements across social media platforms, online videos and print media, aimed at attracting Indian users.
Money laundering angle under PMLA
The action has been taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after investigations revealed that several celebrities allegedly endorsed 1xBet through surrogate branding, despite the platform operating illegally in India.
According to the ED, the attachment of assets is part of a wider crackdown on money laundering linked to illegal online betting platforms, which have increasingly relied on celebrity endorsements to gain legitimacy and visibility in India.
The investigation into the 1xBet network and associated beneficiaries is ongoing, officials added, and further action may follow based on financial trails and digital evidence uncovered during the probe.
Payments routed through foreign entities
The agency claimed that endorsement fees were routed through foreign intermediaries to conceal the illegal origin of the funds.
The ED stated that payments were structured through layered transactions using foreign entities to disguise the source of money, which was linked to Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from illegal betting activities.
Investigators further found that 1xBet operated in India without authorisation, violating Indian laws related to gambling and foreign exchange.