Enforcement Directorate
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday said it has filed a chargesheet against Magicwin, a betting website owned by two Pakistani nationals based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).According to the ED, the prosecution complaint—equivalent to a chargesheet—was filed on January 15 before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.The agency has named 14 individuals and entities as accused in the money laundering case linked to Magicwin. The case originates from an FIR registered by the Ahmedabad cyber crime police, which accused the portal of unauthorised hosting, streaming, and broadcasting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The tournament’s broadcasting rights had been granted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to Star India Private Limited.During the investigation, the ED found that the Magicwin brand portal is owned by Magicwin Sports Limited, a UK-registered company with Pakistani nationals Gulab Harji Mal and Omesh Kumar Gurnani listed as directors. Both individuals are based in the UAE.The agency alleged that the portal and its mobile application functioned as a betting exchange offering sports betting and leisure gambling, with transactions routed through mule accounts. The website allegedly facilitated betting on cricket, tennis, football, and horse racing, while also providing live match streaming and real-time scorecards to users placing bets.The ED further claimed that several celebrities and social media influencers had promoted Magicwin and that proceeds from the betting operations were routed through hawala channels and cryptocurrencies.In October 2025, the Centre banned real-money online gaming and betting, describing it as a “financial and social menace” that “drains the hard-earned money of users, especially the youth.”(With PTI inputs)
