New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued summons to actor Sonu Sood and former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh as part of its widening inquiry into the illegal online betting platform 1xBet, officials said on Tuesday. The notices follow an earlier ED summons to ex-cricketer Robin Uthappa.
According to ED sources, Yuvraj Singh has been asked to appear on September 23, while Sonu Sood has been called on September 24. Robin Uthappa was summoned to depose on September 22, the agency confirmed. The statements will be recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as investigators probe financial flows linked to the betting app.
The ED’s ongoing probe centres on allegations that 1xBet operated illegally in India, laundered proceeds through multiple channels, evaded taxes and used surrogate advertisements to push its services. A key line of inquiry is the role played by public figures and influencers in promoting the platform, including documentary evidence of endorsement contracts, payments received, and modes of communication with the app’s operators.
Earlier in the investigation, the ED questioned cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina about promotional arrangements and transactions related to the platform. Actress Urvashi Rautela has also been summoned in connection with the case; officials say she has been asked to appear before the agency.
Investigators have broadened their fact-finding beyond celebrity endorsements: representatives from major digital platforms have been called in to clarify how advertisements and promotional content for such apps were allowed and monetised. The probe reportedly examines the routing of funds through payment gateways, PayPal and traditional banking channels, and seeks to trace the networks that sustained the app’s operations in India.
ED sources indicated the agency may summon more personalities and intermediaries as it maps the money trail and the organizational structure behind the alleged fraud. The enforcement body has stressed that the action is part of a larger crackdown on unlawful real-money gaming platforms that have proliferated in recent years.
