The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday issued notices to tech giants Google and Meta in connection with its investigation into online betting app cases, summoning them for questioning on July 21. The move signals a significant expansion of the probe, which has already seen numerous celebrities and influencers come under the scanner for promoting alleged illegal gambling platforms.
The ED has accused both Google and Meta of actively facilitating the promotion of betting applications that are currently under investigation for serious financial crimes, including money laundering and hawala transactions. Authorities allege that these tech companies provided prominent advertising slots and allowed websites linked to these online betting platforms to gain visibility on their respective platforms, thereby contributing to the widespread reach of these illicit operations.
This latest development follows a series of actions by the ED in recent weeks. The agency has been meticulously investigating a vast network of online betting apps, many of which are suspected of masquerading as skill-based games while actually engaging in illegal gambling. These platforms are believed to have generated illicit funds worth crores of rupees, often routed through complex hawala channels to avoid detection.
Last week, the ED registered a case against 29 individuals, including prominent actors, television hosts, and social media influencers, for allegedly promoting these illegal betting applications. Celebrities like Prakash Raj, Rana Daggubati, and Vijay Deverakonda are among those who have been named in the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), with allegations that they received substantial financial compensation for endorsing these apps.
Among the cases, the Mahadev Betting App stands out as a high-profile financial scandal, with the total scam estimated to exceed Rs 6,000 crore. Several Bollywood celebrities have been questioned in connection with the case, which has also seen allegations of political kickbacks, including ED’s claim that former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel received over Rs 500 crore from the app's promoters.
Another case involves the Fairplay IPL betting app, which illegally streamed IPL matches and facilitated unauthorised online betting, causing significant revenue losses to Viacom18—the official broadcaster of the tournament. The investigation has implicated several Indian celebrities who endorsed the app, helping it attract a large user base, and has resulted in arrests, asset attachments worth hundreds of crores, and chargesheets against multiple individuals.
Source: India Today