ED summons Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Sonu Sood in online betting app case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former India cricketers Robin Uthappa and Yuvraj Singh, along with Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, for questioning in connection with its ongoing investigation into the illegal online betting platform 1xBet, a senior official said on Tuesday.

While Uthappa has been asked to appear before the agency in Delhi on September 22, Yuvraj has been directed to depose the following day, September 23, and Sood on September 24.

“Their statements will be recorded under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as the agency examine the role of celebrities and influencers in promoting the betting platform,” the official told The Tribune.

The summonses came on a day when actress Urvashi Rautela was asked to depose before the officials at the agency headquarters. However, Rautela is yet to appear before the ED, sources said.

Earlier former cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina were also questioned in the case over promotional contracts and financial transactions linked to the app.

The ED’s investigation centres on allegations that 1xBet operated illegally in India, laundered funds, evaded taxes and manipulated its systems to defraud users.

The agency is probing whether promotional campaigns by public figures helped the app expand its reach and attract new players, many of whom are believed to have lost large sums of money.

Officials said the probe is part of a larger crackdown on illegal betting and real-money gaming platforms that have mushroomed in recent years. The Union Government recently enacted legislation banning such apps, citing their social and financial impact, particularly on young users.

ED sources had earlier indicated that more celebrities and influencers could be called in the coming weeks as the agency maps out the flow of money and the networks that sustained the app’s operations in the country.