India files money laundering chargesheet against Pakistan-linked betting site Magicwin

India’s Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering chargesheet against Magicwin, an online betting platform run by Pakistani nationals based in the UAE, naming 14 accused in a case that began with a cybercrime complaint in Ahmedabad over illegal streaming of ICC T20 World Cup matches.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Magicwin, an online betting website operated by two Pakistani nationals residing in the United Arab Emirates, in a major escalation of India’s crackdown on offshore betting networks and related money laundering.

According to a statement cited by Indian media, the ED submitted a prosecution complaint – legally equivalent to a chargesheet – on 15 January before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The filing names 14 individuals and entities as accused in a money laundering case directly linked to the operations of Magicwin.

The probe stems from an FIR lodged by the Ahmedabad cybercrime police, which accused the portal of unauthorised hosting, streaming and broadcasting of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches, despite exclusive media rights having been granted to Star India Private Limited by the International Cricket Council.

Investigators say the Magicwin brand is owned by Magicwin Sports Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom, with Pakistani nationals Gulab Harji Mal and Omesh Kumar Gurnani as directors, both based in the UAE. The ED alleges that the website and its mobile app functioned as a betting exchange offering sports betting and leisure gambling, routing large volumes of transactions through mule bank accounts and, in some instances, hawala channels and cryptocurrencies to obscure the money trail.

The case is one of the first major enforcement actions since India moved in 2025 to ban real-money online gaming and betting at federal level, describing such platforms as a financial and social menace that drains users’ savings, particularly among young people. Regulators say the Magicwin investigation highlights both the cross-border nature of illegal betting operations and the growing use of digital platforms as vehicles for laundering funds out of India.