Shikhar Dhawan was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday due to his alleged link with an illegal betting app, 1xBet.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to record Shikhar Dhawan’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with its probe into the betting platform 1xBet. The 39-year-old former India opener had reportedly been associated with the app through endorsements, and investigators now seek clarity on the nature of his involvement during questioning.

The agency is further investigating various such cases involving these illegal betting applications. Which has raised concern in recent times about being accused of defrauding several individuals and investors of crores of rupees or evading substantial taxes.

Previously, Suresh Raina was questioned in the same case by the federal probe agency. The Union government recently banned using real money in online gaming apps through legislation.

The agency further called for the representatives of Google and Meta, asking for their part in this activity. ED has conducted multistage research on Tuesday for another betting app named Parimatch.

The agency is investigating several cases linked to illegal betting platforms that are accused of defrauding people and investors of crores of rupees and evading large amounts in taxes.

Market research and probe estimates suggest that nearly 22 crore Indians have used such betting apps, with about half of them—around 11 crore—identified as regular users. The Indian online betting industry is valued at over USD 100 billion and is expanding at an estimated annual rate of 30 per cent, according to experts.