Parimatch Illegal Betting Probe: ED Conducts Raids At 15 Locations In Metro Cities Including Mumbai, Delhi-NCR & Surat

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at around 15 locations in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Madurai and Surat in connection with the illegal betting app ‘Parimatch’. The investigation, initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), is based on an FIR registered by the Mumbai Cyber Police in early 2024.

According to the ED, Parimatch operators siphoned off huge sums from Indian users and funneled the money through a web of mule bank accounts spread across multiple states. So far, the agency has traced illicit fund flows exceeding Rs2,000 crore linked to overseas betting syndicates.

Details Of The Probe

The probe began in early 2024 after the Mumbai Cyber Police received multiple complaints about users losing their deposits, blocked withdrawals, frozen accounts and sudden cancellation of bonuses, suggesting a massive fraud. The complaints led to a cyber fraud case being registered, and later the ED took over the case.

The Parimatch betting app allegedly lured Indian users through aggressive digital marketing, celebrity endorsements and sports sponsorships.

Hawala & Cryptocurrency Transfers Used To Send Funds Overseas

The ED has also found evidence of funds being routed overseas through hawala networks and cryptocurrency transfers. Tactics such as cash withdrawals from Tamil Nadu ATMs and low-value UPI transactions among other methods, were used to further conceal the money trail.

The investigation into illegal betting apps has expanded sharply, with the Hyderabad ED registering enforcement case information Reports (ECIRs) in July 2025 against 29 celebrities and social media influencers accused of promoting Parimatch and other illegal betting apps such as Junglee Rummy, JeetWin, A23 and Lotus365.

Several Actors Under Scrutiny

Names in the spotlight include actors Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Nidhi Agarwal and Manchu Lakshmi.

Rana Daggubati was questioned by the ED for about four hours on Monday, with further summonses expected. Prakash Raj also appeared before the agency, stating he never took payments for promotions and called the inquiry routine.

The ED summoned representatives from global digital platforms Google and Meta in July.

The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) had issued advisories to media and OTT platforms to refrain from promoting offshore betting sites like Parimatch.