The Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan on Thursday for questioning in an alleged illegal betting app-linked money laundering case, official sources said.

The federal probe agency will record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of this investigation linked to an “illegal” betting app named 1xBet, the sources said.

The 39-year-old 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 during the questioning.

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.

Last month, former cricketer Suresh Raina was questioned in this case by the federal probe agency.

What’s the broader case about?

The broader investigation targets various celebrities and influencers who may have promoted these platforms, which are suspected of alleged tax evasion and duping investors, and has also drawn in other prominent figures, including actors and cricketers.

The case involves 1xBet, an alleged illegal online betting platform operating in India, suspected of money laundering, tax evasion, and rigging its algorithms. The ED is looking into celebrities who endorsed these apps, including Dhawan and Raina, to clarify their financial transactions and awareness of the platforms’ activities.

This investigation is one of several probing into illegal betting platforms. Last month, ED had also conducted multi-state searches in connection with a similar investigation against an online betting app named Parimatch.

How big is India’s online betting market?

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. Market research agencies and investigative bodies estimate that nearly 22 crore Indians use different online betting applications, with around half of them (approximately 11 crore) being frequent users.

Experts assess the value of India’s online betting market at over USD 100 billion, noting an annual growth rate of 30 per cent. Additionally, the government informed Parliament that between 2022 and June 2025, it had issued 1,524 directives to block online betting and gambling platforms.