The Bengaluru zone team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a major search operation in Delhi and Gurugram from November 18 to November 22, 2025. This action was taken against online real money gaming app WinZO in the money laundering case. During the investigation, ED has frozen an amount of about Rs 505 crore, which was found in the form of bank balance, bonds, FDR and mutual funds. This action was taken under PMLA.
This case came into the hands of ED when several FIRs were registered against Vinjo and people associated with him. The complaints alleged that the company blocked people’s accounts, used fake identities, misused PAN cards and misused KYC data. Many customers said that gaming accounts were operated in their name and they suffered a loss of lakhs.
What was revealed in ED investigation,
The biggest revelation in the ED investigation was that the WinZO company was showing the customers on its platform that they were playing with real players, whereas in reality they were being fed games through software and algorithms, which increased the chances of the customers losing. In this way the company earned profit worth crores.
Many customers also complained that the company was not allowing them to withdraw the money in their wallet. Withdrawal limits were imposed or money was completely withheld. ED investigation also revealed that Winzo operated real money games in countries like Brazil, America and Germany using its app from India itself. At the same time, even after the government banned real money games from August 22, 2025, the company did not return Rs 43 crore to the customers.
Company exists only on paper – ED
The most surprising thing was that the company sent a huge amount of money from India to America and Singapore. Which was shown in the name of foreign investment. The investigation found that WINZO US Inc. About Rs 489.90 crore (55 million US dollars) has been parked in the American bank account of the named company. ED claims that this company exists only on paper, while all operations are carried out from India. ED is now investigating how this money was sent and on whose instructions it was used. Investigation of the matter is ongoing.
ED also took action against Pocket52 online gaming company
At the same time, in another case, ED also took action against another online gaming company Pocket52. During the same investigation, ED also raided the houses and offices of Nirdesa Networks Pvt. Ltd., Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and directors associated with the company in Bengaluru and Gurugram.
Many important evidences found in ED raid
Karnataka Police had registered an FIR against the online gaming platform named Pocket52, in which it was alleged that the results of the games on the platform were pre-determined, players were colluding with each other, technical glitches were made and customers were prevented from withdrawing money. A complainant said that he suffered a loss of more than Rs 3 crore and the company continued to ignore his complaints.
Many users alleged that Pocket52 had set the game system in such a way that players often lose and the company benefits. In the ED raid, mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices were seized from the directors and founders of the company. Besides, data backup has also been taken on a large scale from the office of Gamescraft company.
ED freezes Rs 18.57 crore kept in different bank accounts
The central government had banned real money gaming on August 22, 2025, under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (PROG Act). Despite this, Pocket52 and its associated companies have not yet returned more than Rs 30 crore to their customers. During the investigation, ED found that 8 escrow accounts in different banks, containing approximately Rs 18.57 crore, have also been frozen. There is suspicion of money related to money laundering in these accounts.
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