Shikhar Dhawan Summoned by Enforcement Directorate Regarding Illegal Betting App Case

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked Shikhar Dhawan to appear in court on Thursday regarding his recent promotion of a betting app called 1XBet. ED is set to inquire about his connections with the betting app and the money laundering accusations against him. According to ED, the case falls under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, PMLA.

Shikhar Dhawan Alleged of Promoting an Illegal Betting App

ED is investigating Mr. ICC’s connections with betting apps like 1XBet, as he was seen promoting them through endorsements. It is also looking into other betting apps that deceive innocent people, causing them to lose money. 

According to the current reports, these apps have duped several crores of investors' money. Additionally, these illegal betting apps are alleged to have escaped government taxes.

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With the recent ban on real-money online gaming and the introduction of strict rules by the Union Government, the gaming industry has faced massive job losses, investor pullbacks, and economic problems. 


Why Was Suresh Raina Questioned?

It has also been reported that Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina, was also under investigation for about 8 hours for endorsing the same betting app. ED has also had talks with representatives of Google and Meta to dig deeper into these illegal betting apps. There is also a betting app named Parimatch, which was investigated by the agency.

ED is actively investigating these online betting apps that duped crores of rupees from their investors and users. As per the latest survey, these apps are estimated to have a user base of around 22 crores from India, of which nearly 11 crores were active users. Shockingly, the market value of online betting apps in India is $100 billion, more than Tuvalu's GDP. And to make it worse, the market value is growing at a staggering rate of 30%.

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The growth of online betting apps in India is a significant cause of concern as it is one of the essential reasons for increased financial debts, social isolation, and unemployment among youth. This industry is rapidly growing because of the numerous endorsements it receives from celebrities and cricketers. Therefore, it has become necessary to take strict action against these platforms and the individuals who promote them.