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The ED said this includes mutual fund investments valued at Rs 6.64 crore held in Suresh Raina’s name and an immovable property valued at Rs 4.5 crore in Shikhar Dhawan’s name
The ED said it provisionally attached movable and immovable properties of former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina (L) and Shikhar Dhawan (R) under the PMLA. (Image: AFP/File)
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday attached the assets valued at Rs 11.14 crore belonging to former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan in the 1xBet money laundering case.
1xBet is a globally recognised online betting platform with 18 years in the industry. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting a probe into its operations as part of its wider investigation against such outlets on allegations of fraud worth crores and tax evasion.
According to the ED, the headquarters office provisionally attached movable and immovable properties of Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The ED said the attachment includes mutual fund investments valued at Rs 6.64 crore held in Raina’s name and an immovable property valued at Rs 4.5 crore in Dhawan’s name. It said searches were conducted at four payment gateways and a laundering trail of Rs 1,000 crore was uncovered.
WHAT HAS THE PROBE REVEALED?
The ED said the investigation has revealed that 1xBet and its surrogate brand 1xBat, 1xBat Sporting Lines were engaged in promoting and facilitating illegal online betting and gambling operations across India.
It said both Raina and Dhawan knowingly entered into endorsement agreements with foreign entities for the promotion of 1xBet through its surrogates. These endorsements were made in return for payments routed through foreign entities to conceal the illicit origin of the funds, which are linked to proceeds of crime generated from illegal betting activities, it added.
The central agency said 1xBet operated in India without authorisation and used surrogate branding and advertisements to target Indian users through social media, online videos, and print media. Payments for endorsements were structured through layered transactions using foreign intermediaries to disguise the illegal source of funds, it said.
It said 1xBet was facilitating betting and gambling for Indian users by collecting money through multiple ‘mule accounts’. More than 6,000 such accounts were used for deposits, it added.
Amounts collected from users in these accounts were routed through multiple payment gateways to disguise their origin, the ED said. Merchants were onboarded on these gateways without any KYC verification, it said.
On verification of profile of these merchants, it was found that the declared business activities by the entities did not match their transaction patterns, indicating laundering of funds exceeding Rs 1000 crore, it said. Searches were conducted based on these findings, resulting in seizure of incriminating evidence, it added.
The ED further said over 60 bank accounts linked to these payment gateways and an amount of over Rs 4 crore have been frozen so far. Further investigation is in progress, it said.
It also advised the public to remain alert and exercise caution by refraining from engaging in, promoting, or investing money through online betting or gambling platforms. It said illegal betting and gambling not only cause economic harm but also facilitate money laundering and financing of unlawful activities. It further appealed to the public to report any suspicious transactions or advertisements promoting such platforms.
Here is an advisory by the ED:
- Do not open, share, or allow your personal or business bank accounts, debit cards, UPI IDs, or payment wallets to be used by others for receiving or transferring funds of unknown origin.
- Do not click on advertisements or links on social media promising high returns, betting offers, or “passive income” schemes. Such links often lead to illegal gambling sites or financial fraud.
- Avoid downloading mobile applications or joining Telegram/WhatsApp channels that promote online betting or gambling.
- Any person knowingly assisting or allowing their account to be used for such activities may be prosecuted under the PMLA, which provides for imprisonment up to seven years and attachment of assets derived from such illegal transactions.
- If you suspect that your account has been misused, immediately inform your bank and local police authorities.
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November 06, 2025, 15:36 IST
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