Google and Meta Embroiled in India Betting CaseGoogle and Meta executives have reportedly been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear for a deposition on July 28.

Initially, it seemed that the executives were summoned to be deposed on Monday, July 21, but they were a no-show. According to our source, the reason for not appearing was that the execs of both companies were given a one-week deferral.

The question is, how have these two tech giants, both hot on the topic of compliance, become mixed up in the ED’s investigation into illegal betting?

It seems that both tech companies allowed illegal ads for sports betting sites to circulate via their paid advertising campaigns.

Whether the companies will be fined or someone will be held accountable for the issue is yet to be seen.

For now, Google has publicly spoken out prior to its deposition, stating that it banned 2.9 million advertiser accounts in India in 2024. Additionally, the company claims to have removed 274.4 million illegal ads. The spokesperson also added that “the company committed to keeping our platforms safe and secure, prohibiting the promotion of illegal gambling ads.

The next step is to wait until Monday, July 28, to see if there is any gossip or mainstream news regarding the line of questions the ED will ask summoned Google and Meta executives.

My source for the main Meta, Google officials skip ED summons news article is the Hindustan Times. I have also referred to past fraudulent cases that the ED has investigated and the team here at Casinoplusbonus has reported on.

What is the ED Investigating?

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is India’s primary agency for combating financial crimes. We had previously published news when Binance assisted the same agency in taking down a Billion-Rupee crypto syndicate.

This time, the ED is investigating an illegal sports betting and online casino ring that advertised heavily in India and ripped off customers. On top of this, the beneficiaries also didn’t pay tax to the tune of several crores of rupees by laundering the proceeds stolen. It is also believed that the scam reached an amount of Rs 6,000 crore.

One such app promoted was the Mahadev Online Book (MOB) app by a group from the state of Chhattisgarh, where online gambling operates in a legal grey area. There are also allegations of political bribes, with one name mentioned: Bhupesh Baghel, the state’s Chief Minister.

Google and Meta are not the only big names to become embroiled in the investigation. Several Bollywood stars were also part of the advertisements cited on social media and other paid ads.

The fiasco has led to other well-known figures also being questions by the ED. Similar summons have been issued to 29 celebrities. Names on the list include Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, and Manchu Lakshmi, according to an India Today news report covering the same case – ED sends notices to Google, Meta.

None of the news reports I’ve read covering the incident mention any official arrests at this time. At this time, it seems the ED is on an information hunt requesting statements and documents from the parties deemed to be involved.

It’s the second time we’ve reported online gambling operations that have Bollywood stars mixed up in illegal gambling. Back in November 2022, we reported that Bollywood stars were arrested in connection with a separate scandal involving casino tycoon Chikoti Praveen Kumar, which related to FEMA violations, hawala transactions, and cross-border casino activity in Thailand/Nepal/Sri Lanka between 2022 and 2023.

Casinoplusbonus Opinion

I must admit, I am a bit lost when it comes to financial cases like these. It seems like a complex case, and difficult to say who should be held accountable. Many Bollywood stars likely participated in advertising, unaware of any potential illegal activity. It seems the scam also managed to pull the wool over the eyes of two tech giants.

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