The Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated popular actor Sonu Sood on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation. The case is linked to an online betting app named 1xBet, officials said.
Sood, 52, arrived at the federal agency’s central Delhi office around noon to comply with the summons.
#WATCH | Delhi: Actor Sonu Sood arrives at the ED office.
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Bollywood actor Sonu Sood to appear before it for questioning in connection with the illegal betting app 1xBet case. pic.twitter.com/uGpTD7zvrp
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2025
The investigating officer of the case will question the actor and formally record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the officials said.
This interrogation is not an isolated event. Over the past few weeks, the federal probe agency has summoned and questioned several other high-profile personalities in connection with the 1xBet betting app case. Notable figures include former cricketers Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Robin Uthappa, and Yuvraj Singh. Additionally, former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and actor Mimi Chakraborty, along with Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, have also appeared before the agency. The probe has also extended to a number of female social media influencers.
The ED’s investigation into 1xBet’s operations is part of a larger, ongoing effort against various online betting platforms. These platforms are accused of defrauding countless individuals of substantial sums of money and allegedly evading significant amounts in direct and indirect taxes.
According to Curacao-registered 1xBet, it claims to be a globally recognized bookmaker with 18 years of experience in the betting industry. Information on its website states that the brand allows customers to place bets on thousands of sporting events, with its website and application accessible in 70 languages.
Sources indicate that more sportspersons, film actors, online influencers, and other celebrities are expected to be called in for questioning by the agency in the coming days.
The ED may also soon begin the process of attaching assets belonging to individuals found to have used alleged proceeds of crime generated from the promotional activities of the app. A chargesheet is anticipated to be filed in court following these proceedings.
The agency’s primary line of inquiry with celebrities focuses on understanding how they were approached by the betting company for endorsements, who the key contact person(s) in India were, the payment methods used (whether cash via hawala channels or banking transfers), and the location where these payments were made (India or abroad).
During these interrogations, the ED is reportedly asking celebrities if they were aware that online betting and gaming are illegal in India. They have also been asked to provide copies of their contracts and all relevant email and paper documentation related to their association with 1xBet. The agency is meticulously examining the end use of the money received by these celebrities to determine if any portion constitutes “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA.
In a related development, the Union Government recently enacted legislation to ban real money online gaming across India. This move underscores the government’s commitment to tackling the issue.
Before the government’s ban, market analysis firms and investigative agencies estimated that approximately 22 crore Indian users were engaged with various online betting apps, with about half of them being regular users.
The online betting app market in India was previously valued at over $100 billion and was reportedly experiencing a 30% growth rate annually.
The government has informed Parliament that from 2022 until June 2025, it issued 1,524 orders to block illegal online betting and gambling platforms.