ED attaches over Rs 500 crore in US, Singapore accounts in WinZO case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday announced it has attached bank deposits worth over Rs 500 crore in the United States and Singapore in connection with its money laundering investigation against real-money gaming platform WinZO and its promoters.

According to the agency, a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was issued to attach these movable assets. The deposits, totaling USD 55.69 million (around Rs 505 crore) , are held in the names of overseas shell companies such as Winzo US Inc and Winzo SG Pte Ltd , Singapore. These entities were operated and controlled by promoters Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore , the ED said.

WinZO, through its mobile app , offered more than 100 games , claiming a user base of around 25 crore , largely from tier-3 and tier-4 cities . The Union government had banned real-money gaming apps in India in August 2025 .

The ED alleged that WinZO was engaged in fraudulent practices, using bots, AI, algorithms, and software named ‘PPP, EP, and Persona’, while customers were led to believe they were playing against real humans. The agency also claimed that the company restricted withdrawals from customer wallets.

The main victims are the platform’s users, many of whom lost money unknowingly while playing against bots or AI, especially those from smaller towns and cities who may have been less aware of the risks.

With this latest attachment, the total assets seized in the WinZO case now stand at Rs 1,194 crore . The ED has also filed a chargesheet before a special PMLA court in Bengaluru, taking forward its ongoing investigation into the platform’s financial irregularities and alleged criminal practices.