New Delhi: In a major development in its crackdown on online betting and digital financial fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued notices to global tech giants Google and Meta, summoning their representatives to appear before the agency’s headquarters in Delhi on July 21.
The summons are linked to an ongoing money laundering probe involving illegal betting applications that were allegedly promoted through paid advertisements and content distribution on digital platforms. According to sources, the ED is examining whether the two companies violated regulatory norms by enabling the promotion of betting apps such as LotusBook, 11Starss, GameBetLeague, and others that are under investigation for large-scale financial irregularities.
The agency suspects that these platforms served as a vehicle for laundering unaccounted money through hawala channels, cryptocurrency, and unregulated “dabba trading.” Earlier this week, the ED conducted multiple raids in Mumbai, seizing over ₹3.3 crore in cash, foreign currency, luxury watches, high-end vehicles, and digital evidence linked to the betting syndicate.
Investigators are now scrutinizing the ad policies, algorithmic promotion mechanisms, and compliance protocols followed by Google and Meta while allowing such apps to access Indian users. The ED is expected to seek details about their due diligence processes, revenue sharing, and potential lapses in preventing the monetization of illegal activities on their platforms.
This marks a significant step in India’s tightening grip on the digital economy, as law enforcement turns its lens toward the tech intermediaries that play a key role in the ecosystem of online financial crimes.
With the July 21 hearing approaching, all eyes are on how Google and Meta respond to the ED’s queries and whether this opens a broader regulatory chapter for digital advertising in India.
