ED summons Google, Meta on July 21 in Betting App case

Jul 19, 2025

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued notices to tech giants Google and Meta in connection with its ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering linked to betting applications, official sources said.

As part of the probe, the ED has summoned representatives from both companies to appear before its Delhi headquarters on July 21.

According to sources, "Google and Meta platforms are promoting betting apps through advertisements and facilitating their reach to users."

The agency is examining the role of digital platforms in enabling the promotion of these illegal apps, which are under scrutiny for potential violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The move comes days after the ED searched four locations in Mumbai in a major dabba trading and online betting case, seizing unaccounted cash of Rs 3.3 crore, along with luxury watches, jewellery, foreign currency, and luxury vehicles. Cash-counting machines were also discovered during the search operations.

The Enforcement Directorate is examining financial and operational activities of 'dabba trading apps' involved in illegal trading and betting platforms, namely VMoney, VM Trading, Standard Trades Ltd, IBull Capital Ltd, LotusBook, 11Starss, and GameBetLeague.

As per officials, "online betting platforms operated through white-label apps and ADMIN rights exchanged on a profit-sharing basis."