New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate Sunday said it has filed a chargesheet against an online betting website whose Pakistani directors are based in the UAE.
A total of 14 individuals and companies have been named as accused in the case against Magicwin.
India banned real-money online gaming and betting in 2025, calling it a financial and social menace as it drains the hard-earned money of users, especially the youth.
The prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) was filed January 15 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, the federal probe agency said in a statement.
The money laundering case stems from an Ahmedabad cyber crime police FIR, which booked the portal on charges of unauthorised hosting, streaming and broadcasting of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches, for which rights had been given to Star India Pvt. Ltd by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Magicwin Sports Ltd. owns the brand portal and the company is registered in the United Kingdom, with Pakistani nationals Gulab Harji Mal and Omesh Kumar Gurnani as its directors. The two are apparently based in the United Arab Emirates, the ED said.
It said the portal and its mobile app were working like a betting exchange that provided all sports betting and leisure gambling, and used mule accounts to transact.
According to the ED, Magicwin provided live casino to compete in a range of games such as Baccarat, Teen Patti, Roulette, Andar-Bahar, Poker and Blackjack, etc., conducted by live dealers instead of bots.
The website allowed betting for cricket, tennis, football and horse racing, and the users could also watch live streaming of the matches alongside live scorecards while placing their bets, the agency said.
Many celebrities and social media influencers had advertised for Magicwin, and the funds of such betting activities were diverted through hawala and cryptocurrencies, the ED said.
