Google appears before ED in illegal betting ads probe, Meta a no-show
The ED's investigation centers around allegations that Google and Meta facilitated the promotion of online betting applications that are now under scrutiny for serious financial crimes, including large-scale money laundering and hawala transactions.
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In a major development in the ongoing crackdown on illegal online gambling, tech behemoth Google appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in response to a money laundering probe tied to the promotion of illegal betting and gambling advertisements, reported PTI.
However, Meta, which was also summoned in the same case, failed to send a representative, according to official sources cited in the report.
The two tech giants had been previously summoned for questioning on July 21 but had sought additional time to comply. The ED's investigation centers around allegations that Google and Meta facilitated the promotion of online betting applications that are now under scrutiny for serious financial crimes, including large-scale money laundering and hawala transactions.
A Google spokesperson, speaking to PTI last week, asserted the company's commitment to platform safety, stating, "We are committed to keeping our platforms safe and secure, prohibiting the promotion of illegal gambling ads. We are extending our full support and cooperation to investigating agencies to hold bad actors responsible and keep users safe.”
The ED suspects that both companies enabled visibility and reach for websites associated with these illicit platforms by selling them prime ad slots.
Many of these apps, officials said, masqueraded as skill-based games but were in fact vehicles for illegal gambling, duping users and laundering money through layered and opaque financial networks, the report added.
As per the report, investigators believe the illegal betting ecosystem may have generated illicit funds worth hundreds of crores of rupees, channelled through hawala routes to bypass regulatory oversight. These activities not only defrauded individuals but also resulted in massive tax evasion.
