Bengaluru, February 18: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against Winzo Private Limited, an online real-money gaming platform, in a money laundering case. The ED has provisionally attached approximately ₹505 crore held in foreign bank accounts in the USA and Singapore.
These accounts are registered under foreign shell companies, Winzo US INC (USA) and Winzo SG Private Limited (Singapore), controlled by the company’s promoters, Pawan Nanda and Soumya Singh Rathore.
Previously, on November 18, 2025, the ED conducted searches at Winzo’s offices and the homes of its directors. Further operations were carried out on December 30, 2025, at its accounting firm. Evidence collected during these investigations indicated that the company was involved in fraudulent activities and criminal conduct. Users on the Winzo app were reportedly compelled to play against bots, AI, algorithms, or software (referred to as PPP/EP/Persona) without being informed that they were not competing against real players.
The company restricted or limited withdrawals from users’ wallets. Matches played with bots generated ‘rack commission’ as crime proceeds. Delays in withdrawals and the use of bots encouraged users to keep playing, gradually converting their deposits into rack commissions. According to the ED, the company earned a total of ₹3,522.05 crore from criminal activities between the fiscal years 2021-22 and 2025-26 (up to August 22, 2025).
So far, the ED has frozen movable properties worth approximately ₹689 crore in this case. A portion of the crime proceeds was transferred from India to the USA and Singapore under the guise of overseas investments, with all operations and banking activities managed from India. The total amount frozen or attached has now reached around ₹1,194 crore.
On January 23, 2026, a prosecution complaint was filed in the Special Court (CCH-1) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Bengaluru. The ED has alleged that the company deceived users and laundered funds through shell companies. Further investigations are ongoing, focusing on other individuals involved and the tracing of fund transfers.
This case highlights issues of transparency and User Safety in the real-money gaming industry. Platforms like Winzo have millions of users, and the ED’s actions may lead to increased scrutiny in the sector.
