ED summons cricketer Shikhar Dhawan in illegal betting app case

Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in an alleged illegal betting app-linked money laundering case, official sources told PTI.

Dhawan arrived at the federal probe agency’s office in central Delhi around 11 am. The ED recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of an investigation linked to an “illegal” betting app named 1xBet, the sources said.

The 39-year-old former India opener is understood to have been linked to the app through certain endorsements. The ED aims to ascertain his connections with the app during the questioning, the sources added.

The agency is probing multiple cases involving illegal betting apps, which are alleged to have duped numerous people and investors of crores of rupees or evaded significant taxes, PTI reported.

Last month, former cricketer Suresh Raina was questioned by the ED in the same case.

The Union government has recently banned real-money online gaming through new legislation, PTI said.

According to market analysis and probe agencies, about 22 crore Indian users are active on various online betting apps, of which roughly 11 crore are regular users.

Experts estimate the online betting app market in India is worth over USD 100 billion and is growing at a rate of 30 per cent, PTI reported.

The government recently informed Parliament that it has issued 1,524 orders from 2022 till June 2025 to block online betting and gambling platforms.

With inputs from PTI