Actor Sonu Sood appears before ED in betting app linked PMLA case

Actor Sonu Sood connected Wednesday (September 24, 2025) appeared earlier the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning successful a money-laundering lawsuit linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said.

Mr. Sood (52) reached the agency's bureau successful cardinal Delhi astir 12 noon.

The investigating serviceman of the lawsuit volition question the histrion and grounds his connection nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said.

The national probe bureau has questioned erstwhile cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh isolated from erstwhile TMC MP and histrion Mimi Chakraborty and Bengali histrion Ankush Hazra implicit the past fewer weeks arsenic portion of this investigation.

Some pistillate societal media influencers person besides been questioned by the bureau arsenic portion of this investigation.

The probe into the operations of the 1xBet betting app is portion of the ED's wider probe against specified platforms connected allegations of duping galore radical of crores of rupees and reportedly evading a immense magnitude of nonstop and indirect taxes.

According to Curacao-registered 1xBet, it is simply a globally recognised bookmaker with 18 years successful the betting industry. The brand's customers tin spot bets connected thousands of sporting events, with the company's website and app disposable successful 70 languages, according to the accusation disposable connected its website.

Some much sportspersons, movie actors, online influencers and celebrities are expected to beryllium questioned by the bureau successful the coming days.

The ED whitethorn besides soon initiate the process to connect assets of individuals successful this lawsuit who are recovered utilizing the alleged proceeds of transgression generated from the promotional activities of the app. A chargesheet volition beryllium filed subsequently earlier a court, the sources said.

The agency's enactment of investigation, according to sources, is to cognize from the celebrities arsenic to however they were contacted by the said betting institution seeking their endorsement, the nodal person(s) for interaction successful India, the mode of outgo (cash done hawala oregon banking channel) and spot of the outgo (in India oregon abroad), etc.

The agency, portion signaling the statements of the cricketers and actors, is understood to beryllium asking them if they knew that online betting and gaming was amerciable successful India. It has besides asked them to furnish a transcript of their contracts and each applicable email and insubstantial documentation made by them with 1xBet.

The bureau is besides looking astatine the extremity usage of the wealth taken by the celebrities to cheque if immoderate of them tin beryllium categorised arsenic the "proceeds of crime" nether the PMLA, according to the sources.

The Union Government precocious banned existent wealth online gaming successful India by bringing a legislation.

The ED has besides precocious taken a argumentation determination to person "focused strategies" successful bid to analyse fiscal crimes linked to alleged amerciable betting and gaming.

According to estimates by marketplace investigation firms and probe agencies undertaken earlier the authorities ban, determination were astir 22 crore Indian users successful assorted specified online betting apps, retired of which fractional were regular users.

The online betting app marketplace successful India was estimated to beryllium worthy much than $100 billion, which was stated to beryllium increasing astatine the complaint of 30% according to experts.

The authorities has told Parliament that it has issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to artifact online betting and gambling platforms.