ED Alleges Gameskraft Used BOTs to Manipulate Online Rummy Games; ₹526 Crore Assets Frozen, Directors Arrested Under PMLA

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru Zonal Office, in a press release dated May 14, 2026, said that it has conducted search and seizure operations against Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd., its directors and some key employees under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

The searches was carried out between May 7 and May 13, 2026 at different places in Bengaluru and NCR region. According to ED, the searches resulted in seizure of documents, electronic records, jewellery and cash. The agency also freezed movable assets worth around Rs. 526.49 crore. These assets includes bank balances, payment gateway balances, mutual funds, bonds and fixed deposits.

The ED also said that bullion, gold and diamond jewellery weighing around 2.30 kilograms worth about Rs. 3.50 crore was seized along with cash of Rs. 11 lakh.

As per the press release, the investigation started after multiple FIRs were registered in different states for cheating and illegal online gaming activities. Gameskraft Technologies Pvt. Ltd. operates online rummy gaming platforms through apps like RummyCulture, RummyPrime, Playship, RummyTime and RummyCorner.

The agency claimed that the company has around three crore users across India and many users were from states where online real money gaming was banned, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. ED alleged that the company tampered with geo-location systems so users from these states can still access the games.

According to ED, the company charged commission between 10 to 15 percent from the wagering amounts of users and assured users that the platform was transparent and free from bots. However, investigation allegedly revealed that users were made to play against automated programs or “bots” without knowing about it.

The ED further alleged that users were first allowed to win small amounts and withdraw some winnings to create trust. After users started playing with bigger amounts, bots were systematically deployed which caused huge losses to genuine users.

The agency claimed that evidence collected during investigation showed that genuine users lost around Rs. 1154 crore to bot-controlled user IDs.

The press release also mentioned that complaints received by the company through its app and customer support system showed many users suffered severe financial stress. Some users reportedly faced mental distress and even suicidal tendencies after suffering heavy losses.

ED further alleged that the proceeds generated from these activities were laundered through investments in foreign entities, mutual funds, bonds and properties.

The agency also informed that three directors of the company Prithvi Raj Singh, Vikas Taneja and Deepak Singh Ahlawat have been arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA.

Further investigation in the matter is still going on.

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