The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Kolkata zonal office has conducted searches at multiple real money gaming (RMG) companies as part of its widening probe into alleged illegal online betting and money laundering linked to YouTuber and social media influencer Anurag Dwivedi, people familiar with the matter said.
According to sources, at least four online gaming firms — PlayerzPot, Vision11, Gameskraft and Games 24×7-owned My11Circle — were searched or examined by the federal agency over payments made to Dwivedi for brand endorsements across digital platforms. ED officials are scrutinising the source, flow and legitimacy of funds paid to the influencer, amid allegations that he promoted illegal betting and gambling websites operating in India.
Sources also said that multiple such online money gaming firms operating in India are under ED lens due to links with Dwivedi.
While spokespersons for Games 24×7, Vision11, PlayerzPot and Gameskraft were unavailable for comment, sources within these firms confirmed the searches. “We had entered into legal agreements with the content creator for brand promotion. The ED was investigating the money trail linked to his earnings. We have cooperated fully and believe our transactions are compliant,” one executive said.
The action against the RMG firms comes alongside a larger money laundering investigation against Dwivedi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED has alleged that Dwivedi earned substantial proceeds of crime by promoting illegal online betting platforms, including Sky Exchange and other gambling applications, which allow users to place digital bets — an activity prohibited under Indian law.
In a statement issued earlier, the ED said it conducted simultaneous searches at 10 locations across Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow and Unnao, as well as Delhi, linked to Dwivedi and his associates. During the raids, the agency seized four luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini Urus, a BMW Z4 and a Mercedes-Benz — with a combined value of over ₹4 crore. In addition, ₹20 lakh in cash was recovered, and movable assets such as bank balances, fixed deposits and insurance policies worth around ₹3 crore were frozen.
Investigators also recovered documents and digital devices indicating investments in real estate in Dubai allegedly made through hawala channels. “Papers detailing overseas property investments using illicit funds were found during the searches,” an official said, adding that the agency is examining evidence of cross-border money laundering.
The ED’s probe was initiated on the basis of a case registered by the West Bengal Police against several individuals accused of operating illegal online betting panels from Siliguri using mule bank accounts, Telegram channels and other digital platforms. According to the agency, Dwivedi played an “active and significant role” in promoting these platforms by creating and circulating promotional videos, thereby influencing users to participate in illegal betting.
“He has been found to have received proceeds of crime through hawala channels and mule accounts. Large sums were credited to the bank accounts of his companies and family members without corresponding legitimate commercial justification,” the ED alleged.
The agency further claimed that Dwivedi has since left India and is currently residing in Dubai. Multiple summons have been issued to him, but he has failed to appear before investigators. So far, the ED has frozen or attached movable assets worth ₹23.7 crore in the case and has arrested three individuals. A prosecution complaint was filed before a special PMLA court in Kolkata on August 1, officials said.
The investigation has now expanded to examine whether payments made by regulated real money gaming companies to influencers were inadvertently linked to proceeds of crime, marking one of the first instances where influencer marketing spends in the online gaming sector have come under direct scrutiny from enforcement agencies.
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