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Roundup · Consumer Internet & Media

Ed attaches ₹505 crore of WinZO in money laundering case

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WinZO logo
Date
Company
WinZO
What it does
Online gaming platform
Kind
Roundup
Amount
₹505 Cr
Sector
Consumer Internet & Media

What they do

WinZO is an online gaming platform where users play paid games

What happened

The Enforcement Directorate provisionally attached ₹505 crore held by WinZO in foreign bank accounts

Why it matters

The ED alleges WinZO used bots to play against real users and restricted withdrawals

The details

  • The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached ₹505 crore ($55.7 million) held by WinZO in foreign bank accounts in the US and Singapore.
  • The funds were parked in accounts operated through overseas shell entities Winzo US Inc and Winzo SG Pte Ltd.
  • The ED alleges WinZO used bots and algorithm-driven personas to play against real users in paid games without disclosure.
  • The ED also alleges WinZO restricted or delayed user withdrawals to induce continued gaming.
  • The ED filed a prosecution complaint alleging large-scale game manipulation and money laundering by WinZO a few weeks before February 18, 2026.
  • The ED arrested WinZO cofounders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in November 2025.
  • The ED conducted search operations at four locations in Delhi and Gurugram between November 18 and November 22, 2025.

The bigger picture

  • The ED probe was triggered by multiple FIRs alleging cheating, impersonation, misuse of PAN, wrongful blocking of user accounts, and unauthorised use of customer KYC data.
  • The ED estimates WinZO derived proceeds of crime totalling ₹3,522.05 crore between FY22 and FY26 (up to August 22, 2025).
  • The ED estimated genuine users lost around ₹734 crore to bot-driven gameplay.
  • Total value of assets attached or frozen in the case stands at about ₹1,194 crore.

About the business

  • WinZO is an online gaming platform where users play paid games.
  • The platform generates revenue through commissions on matches, called 'rake commissions'.
  • The ED alleges WinZO generated illicit gains through rake commissions on matches between bots and human users.
  • The company operates through overseas entities in the US and Singapore, controlled from India by cofounders.

Founders

  • Paavan Nanda, cofounder
  • Saumya Singh Rathore, cofounder

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