Yuvraj quizzed by ED for 7 hrs in betting app case

Investigators are examining whether celebrities knowingly promoted the platform, 1xBet, despite betting being illegal in India. They have been asked to submit contracts, emails and payment details to establish whether endorsements involved hawala or banking channels, and if money received can be treated as “proceeds of crime".

1xBet presents itself as a global bookmaker with operations in 70 languages. However, the Indian authorities allege it duped users of crores of rupees while evading large-scale taxes. Sources said the ED might soon attach assets of those found to have benefitted from the app’s operations, followed by a chargesheet.

The probe comes amid a government crackdown on illegal online gaming. Parliament was informed recently that 1,524 blocking orders against betting platforms were issued between 2022 and June 2025. Before the ban, India had an estimated 22 crore users of such apps, with the market pegged at over USD 100 billion and growing at 30 per cent annually.