The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina to its Delhi office for questioning on Wednesday. The federal investigation agency will record his statement concerning the betting app 1xBet case. A few days ago, a news report highlighted that Raina is under ED's scrutiny for his connection with the betting app and might soon be called for questioning.
Last December, betting app 1xBet announced Suresh Raina as its gaming ambassador. The betting company stated, 'Our partnership with Suresh Raina is aimed at encouraging sports betting fans to bet responsibly. Hence, his role is titled Responsible Gaming Ambassador, marking him as the first ambassador of such nature for our brand.'
Recently, the ED intensified its probe against illegal online betting platforms, focusing on Bollywood celebrities and cricketers endorsing such apps. In the investigation concerning prohibited betting platforms like 1xBet, FairPlay, Parimatch, and Lotus365, ED previously interrogated former cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, as well as actors Sonu Sood and Urvashi Rautela.
ED sources noted, 'These betting platforms use alias names like 1xbat and 1xbat Sporting Lines in their advertisements. Such ads often contain QR codes redirecting users to betting sites, blatantly violating Indian laws. Notices have been sent to several celebrities endorsing these platforms.' The report indicates such platforms often falsely promote themselves as skill-based gaming platforms while engaging in illegal betting using deceptive algorithms.
