India Seizes $1 Million in Assets From Athletes and Celebrities in 1xBet Advertising Case

^{Pictured: Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, Indian cricketers}

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized assets worth 7.93 crore rupees (approximately $1 million) as part of an investigation into the promotion of the offshore betting platform 1xBet, which authorities allege operated illegally in the country, The Times of India reported, citing official sources.

The provisional attachment covers assets belonging to former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actor Sonu Sood, and former Member of Parliament Mimi Chakraborty. The case materials also name actresses Urvashi Rautela and Neha Sharma, as well as Bengali actor Ankush Hazra.

According to the ED, the public figures knowingly took part in advertising campaigns for 1xBet, promoting the bookmaker through surrogate websites and alternative brand names, including 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.

These platforms were allegedly used to bypass restrictions on gambling advertising and were specifically targeted at Indian users.

The agency stated that payments under the advertising contracts were routed through foreign entities using multi-layered transactions, which investigators believe was intended to conceal the origin of the funds. The probe is being conducted under India’s anti–money laundering legislation and is based on multiple criminal cases officially registered by police across several Indian states.

Gambling Park notes that the ED had previously seized assets worth 11.14 crore rupees from former cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina as part of the same investigation. According to official estimates, the overall scale of the case could exceed 1,000 crore rupees (around $120 million).