New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Google and Meta executives for July 28 after they failed to appear before the agency on Monday in connection with its money laundering probe into illegal online betting platforms which use multiple platforms for surrogate advertisements, officials said.
An official familiar with the development said Google and Meta executives sought deferment of the Monday summons saying they needed more time to collect documents and information sought by the agency.
ED is now expecting to record their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 28.
A Google spokesperson said, “We’re committed to keeping our platforms safe and secure, prohibiting the promotion of illegal gambling ads. Our continuous AI advancements, complemented by human expertise, ensure all ads on our surfaces comply with local laws and our strict ad policies, and protect users from evolving threats. Last year alone, we removed 247.4 million ads and suspended 2.9 million advertiser accounts in India. We are extending our full support and cooperation to investigating agencies to hold bad actors responsible and keep users safe.”
As part of its larger probe into multiple illegal online betting platforms, the financial crimes probe agency has been asking questions not only from tech firms, but also media houses which may have received money for advertisements from them.
{{/usCountry}}As part of its larger probe into multiple illegal online betting platforms, the financial crimes probe agency has been asking questions not only from tech firms, but also media houses which may have received money for advertisements from them.
{{/usCountry}}Several platforms hosting illegal betting and gambling links, including instances of advertisements placed for them on various social media outlets and app stores, are under the ED scanner.
In 2023, the Union ministry of information and broadcasting issued four advisories to newspapers, broadcast news channels, entertainment channels, publishers of online news and current affairs content, online advertisement intermediaries (like Google and Facebook), and social media platforms to not advertise online betting platforms.
Despite these instructions from the Centre that advertisements of online betting platforms are not permitted, eminent personalities in the field of entertainment and sports endorsed them. These actors and sportspersons are also under the ED’s scanner and they could be summoned soon, according to an ED officer.
According to the information gathered by ED over the past several months, multiple betting platforms, which have been banned over the years, still run their operations by changing names and are promoted by celebrities and social media influencers.
“These platforms are in violation of multiple laws and directions by the Indian government, including tax evasion, money laundering, and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as money is transferred out of the country illegally. It is estimated that around 22 crore (220 million) Indian users are currently engaged on various betting apps, and 11 crore (110 million) of these are regular users,” the second officer said.
In just the first three months of 2025, more than 1.6 billion visits were recorded on illegal betting websites or apps and it is suspected that the online betting market in India might be worth around $100 million, the first ED officer said. “The estimates also suggest that top betting apps are evading ₹27,000 crore in taxes every year,” the first officer said.
The government has issued 1,410 blocking directions related to online betting/gambling/gaming websites (including mobile applications) between 2022 and 25 (till February 2025), said the second officer.