Online betting app case: Urvashi Rautela appears before ED for questioning
Rautela, who is the Indian ambassador of online betting and gaming platform 1xbet, had been summoned by ED earlier this month.
Actor and model Urvashi Rautela appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday in connection with the money laundering case linked to online betting and gaming platform 1xbet, PTI reported quoting official sources.
The ED has begun recording Rautela's statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to sources.
Rautela, who is the Indian ambassador of the platform, which is based in the Caribbean island of Curacao, was summoned by the agency earlier this month.
The ED has summoned multiple prominent personalities in the larger money laundering probe against illegal online betting platforms, which use multiple platforms for surrogate advertisements and collect funds from the users, officials said.
Several platforms which host illegal betting and gambling links, including instances of advertisements for these platforms on social media platforms and app stores, are under the ED scanner.
The agency has questioned tech firms – including representatives from Google and Meta – who received money for advertisements for such platforms.
The probe agency is summoning celebrities to question them on the links they have to the betting apps, the endorsement fee they might have earned and the mode of communication between them.
The ED has earlier questioned cricketers Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Yuvraj Singh. The agency also summoned actors Sonu Sood, Ankush Hazra, and Mimi Chakraborty, who is also a former TMC MP.
ED may attach assets worth crores of some sportspersons, actors
The ED's investigation into the money laundering case linked to the 1xBet platform has found that some of the celebrities who endorsed the portal utilised the fee they received for acquiring assets, PTI quoted sources as saying.
Such assets will qualify as “proceeds of crime” under the anti-money laundering law. Thus, the ED is expected to attach such assets of sportspersons and actors, which are allegedly worth crores of rupees.
The 1xBet platform in its website states that it is a globally recognised bookmaker with 18 years in the industry, and that customers can place bets through it on thousands of sports events.
With the Union Government bringing in the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, advertisement related to online money games have been prohibited. Banks and other financial institutions are also barred from facilitating or transferring funds of such games.
