NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD, 13 AUG

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina was on Wednesday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged illegal online betting app-linked money laundering case, official sources said.

Rains (38) was seen interacting with CISF personnel and Enforcement Directorate (ED) staff outside the agency's office in central Delhi before he marked his attendance at around 11am.

The federal probe agency recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of the investigation linked to a sports betting app (application) named 1xBet, the sources said.

The former Indian cricketer is understood to have been linked to the app through certain endorsements. The ED wants to understand his links with this app, any endorsement fee earned and the mode of communication between the two parties, according to the sources.

The agency had recently called representatives of Google and Meta for questioning as part of this probe.

It also conducted multi-state searches on Tuesday in connection with a similar investigation against an online betting app named Parimatch.

The agency is probing multiple such cases involving illegal betting apps that are alleged to have duped numerous people and investors worth crores of rupees or have evaded a huge amount of taxes.

According to estimates by market analysis firms and probe agencies, there are about 22 crore Indian users in various such online betting apps, out of which half (about 11 crore) are regular users.

The online betting app market in India is worth over USD 100 billion, which is growing at a rate of 30 per cent, according to experts.

The government last month told Parliament that it has issued 1,524 orders from 2022 to June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.

Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada told Lok Sabha in a written reply that the Directorate General of GST Intelligence headquarters is empowered as an appropriate government agency under the Information Technology Act, 2000 ( IT Act ) and the IGST Act to direct intermediaries to block unregistered online money gaming platforms, including offshore online money gaming platforms, violating the IGST Act.

He said the suppliers of online money gaming are also being regulated under the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (IGST Act).

"Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, 'Betting and gambling' is a State subject (entry 34 of the List II). Therefore, as per the provisions of Article 246 read with Article 162 of the Constitution, State Legislatures have the power to legislate on matters related to betting and gambling," Prasada had said.

The minister said the states and union territories are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes, including action on illegal betting and gambling.

"The Central Government supplements the efforts of the States/Union Territories through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEA," Prasada said.

Actress Lakshmi Manchu appears before the ED in an online betting-linked PMLA case

Telugu actress Lakshmi Manchu on Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here for questioning in a money laundering case linked to illegal online betting and gambling by certain platforms.

Lakshmi appeared before the officials of the probe agency at its zonal office here.

The federal agency had issued summons to four actors--Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati and Lakshmi Manchu-- last month, asking them to appear on different dates at the agency's zonal office here for questioning in the case.

Raj, Deverakonda and Daggubati have appeared before the ED.

The actors had "endorsed" online betting apps allegedly involved in generating "illicit" funds, according to official sources.

The agency has recorded the statements of the three actors under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had taken cognisance of as many as five state police FIRs to register its case against these actors and a number of other celebrities and social media influencers.

These individuals are suspected to have "endorsed" online betting apps for a celebrity or endorsement fee, ED sources said.

These platforms are alleged to have generated "illicit" funds through illegal betting and gambling, worth crores of rupees, they said.

Deverakonda had recently said that he made an endorsement for a gaming app, adding that gaming apps are completely legal and recognised by the government.