The Enforcement Directorate of India (ED) has seized assets worth $1.97 million on March 2 as part of an investigation into the activities of 1xBet in the local market, according to The New Indian Express. The total value of seized assets in this case now stands at $4.04 million. The publication did not specify the form and location of these assets.
According to the investigation, 1xBet operates in India without permission through a network of mirror sites. To accept deposits, the operator uses disposable payment details and drop accounts, which allows them to conceal the ultimate beneficiaries. The investigation also revealed that Parthtech Developers LLP, which manages cricket media CREX and OneCricket, signed advertising contracts with Bwise Media AG (Switzerland) to promote illegal iGaming operators, including 1xBet. The advertising was broadcast through Parthtech's own ad server, Parth Adex, targeting the Indian audience.
Previously, in the same case, the ED seized assets from former Indian cricket players Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina ($1.21 million), as well as ex-cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, actors Urvashi Rautela, Sonu Sood, Ankush Hazra, Neha Sharma, and former parliament member Mimi Chakraborty ($861,000).