Urvashi Rautela Appears Before ED Over 1xBet Money Laundering Case

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Actor and model Urvashi Rautela appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding a money laundering case tied to the online betting and gaming platform, 1xBet, official sources disclosed. The 31-year-old serves as the Indian ambassador for the platform, which is registered in Curacao, a Caribbean island. The federal investigative body has begun documenting her statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources.

As part of this ongoing probe, the ED has also questioned cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Shikhar Dhawan, as well as actors Sonu Sood, Mimi Chakraborty (formerly a TMC MP), and Ankush Hazra from Bengali cinema. Some online influencers have faced similar inquiries. The agency is expected to seize assets valued in crores belonging to certain sportspersons and actors under the anti-money laundering legislation.

The investigation into the 1xBet portal discovered that some celebrities used their endorsement payments to buy various assets deemed "proceeds of crime" under the anti-money laundering statute. According to details on its site, 1xBet, registered in Curacao, is a globally recognized bookmaker with 18 years in the betting industry. The platform offers betting opportunities on thousands of sporting events, with its website and app available in 70 languages.

Recently, the Union government enacted legislation to ban real money online gaming in India. Market analysis firms and investigative agencies estimated, prior to this ban, that approximately 22 crore Indian users engaged with various online betting apps; half of them were regular users.