New Delhi The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday stated it has chargesheeted real-money on-line gaming platform WinZO and its promoters, alleging that customers misplaced ₹734 crore after the corporate embedded bots and synthetic intelligence instruments to govern recreation algorithms.
In an official assertion, the ED stated its Bengaluru zonal workplace filed a prosecution grievance on January 23 earlier than a particular court docket designated to listen to instances beneath the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).
The chargesheet names Winzo Pvt. Ltd., its administrators Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore, and its wholly owned subsidiaries, together with abroad entities akin to Winzo US Inc. (USA), Winzo SG Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) and ZO Pvt. Ltd., as accused.
In accordance with the company, WinZO operated greater than 100 video games by way of its cellular software and claimed a consumer base of round 25 crore, largely from tier-3 and tier-4 cities.
The Union authorities banned real-money gaming purposes in India in August 2025.
The ED alleged that WinZO charged customers a fee by deducting a proportion of betting quantities, whereas assuring gamers that its platform was clear, safe, and freed from bots. Nonetheless, the investigation discovered {that a} majority of the real-money video games (RMGs) have been manipulated.
Evaluation of recreation codebases, third-party developer agreements, and inner communications revealed that till December 2023, the RMGs have been embedded with bots, AI instruments, and algorithmic profiles, the company stated.
From Could 2024 to August 2025, WinZO allegedly altered its modus operandi by simulating historic gameplay information of dormant or inactive customers and pitting it towards actual gamers with out their information or consent.
“To suppress and conceal these unscrupulous acts, the corporate intentionally referred to using bots and simulated gamers by way of deceptive terminologies akin to EP (engagement play), PPP (previous efficiency of participant) and Persona,” the ED stated.
The company additional alleged that customers have been initially lured with small bonuses and allowed to win towards straightforward bots, with restricted withdrawals permitted to create a false sense of belief. As soon as customers started inserting larger stakes, more durable bots have been deployed systematically, leading to important monetary losses.
Consequently, real customers incurred losses of roughly ₹734 crore, the ED claimed, including that winnings at larger stakes have been usually blocked by way of restrictive withdrawal mechanisms, forcing continued gameplay.
The ED additionally alleged that WinZO didn’t return reputable consumer winnings and deposits amounting to ₹47.66 crore even after real-money gaming apps have been banned final 12 months.
On this method, the company stated, the corporate generated proceeds of crime price ₹3,522.05 crore between the monetary years 2021–22 and 2025–26 (as on August 22, 2025).
Proof recovered from seized digital gadgets additional indicated that the manipulative gaming construction induced extreme monetary misery to customers, significantly these from economically weaker backgrounds, with some reportedly experiencing excessive psychological misery and suicidal tendencies, the ED claimed.
The company additionally alleged that the proceeds of crime have been laundered by way of shell corporations created within the US and Singapore.
Revealed on January 25, 2026
