ED Attaches Assets Worth Rs 1,906 Crore in Gameskraft Money Laundering Case
Bengaluru, July 24: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 1,906 crore belonging to Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., its shareholders and associated entities in connection with the RummyCulture app case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to an ED press release, the attachment was made through a Provisional Attachment Order dated July 22 as part of an investigation into the generation and laundering of proceeds of crime allegedly derived from cheating online real-money rummy players. The attached assets include bank balances, fixed deposits, mutual funds, convertible notes, equity shares, a farmhouse, and multiple residential and commercial properties held by the company’s shareholders, their family members, family trusts and associated entities.
The ED said the investigation was initiated on the basis of multiple FIRs registered in Telangana for cheating offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which are scheduled offences under the PMLA. Earlier, the agency conducted search and seizure operations at the company’s offices and the residences of its directors and key employees between May 7 and 13, and again between June 20 and 21, 2026, during which several incriminating documents, digital devices and electronic records were seized.
According to the ED, the investigation found that Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and RummyTime Technologies Pvt. Ltd. operated online real-money gaming platforms, including RummyCulture, RummyPrime, Playship and RummyTime, with an estimated user base of around three crore users across the country. The agency alleged that a significant number of users were from states where online real-money gaming has been banned, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and that the companies earned platform commissions ranging from 10% to 15% on wagering amounts.
The ED further alleged that, while assuring users that the platforms were transparent and free from automated players, the companies deployed bots against users without their knowledge or consent, causing substantial financial losses while generating proceeds of crime.
The agency also alleged that the companies adopted deceptive user acquisition and retention strategies, spending around Rs 1,035 crore on marketing and promotional campaigns. According to the ED, users were lured through bonuses, referral incentives, free tournament entries and promotional rewards, while restrictive withdrawal mechanisms and promotional schemes encouraged continued gameplay and increased deposits.
The ED said the proceeds of crime generated through these activities were allegedly layered and integrated through dividend payments, share buy-backs and investments in financial instruments and high-value properties to project them as legitimate assets.
The agency stated that movable assets worth approximately Rs 495 crore had earlier been frozen, along with cash of Rs 11 lakh and gold and diamond jewellery, including about 2.30 kg of bullion, being seized during searches. With the latest attachment, the total value of proceeds of crime attached, frozen and seized in the investigation stands at approximately Rs 2,401 crore.
The ED said further investigation in the case is in progress.
