India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent formal notices to tech giants Google and Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) in connection with ongoing investigations into illegal betting apps. The move is part of a broader crackdown on digital platforms allegedly facilitating such operations through advertising.

According to sources, the ED has asked both companies to provide detailed explanations regarding advertisements for betting platforms that appeared on their platforms. The authorities are trying to understand how these ads were approved and what kind of due diligence was followed before allowing them to be published.

The ED is also looking into whether the money involved in these advertising transactions violates the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Officials believe that some of these betting apps may have used digital ad services to reach users and collect funds in ways that could be linked to money laundering.

Both Google and Meta have been summoned for questioning and are expected to submit relevant documents in the coming days. So far, neither company has issued an official public statement, but internal compliance teams are reportedly reviewing the matter.

This development reflects growing regulatory scrutiny over how tech platforms manage financial ads, especially in sensitive sectors like betting and gambling. The Indian government has already taken steps in recent years to ban several betting apps and tighten rules around their promotion.

Users are being cautioned to avoid engaging with unverified apps or platforms that offer betting services, and digital companies are being pushed to increase transparency in their ad approval process