Bengaluru, July 25 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s Bengaluru Zonal Office on Saturday filed a chargesheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against online gaming firms Gameskraft Technologies and RummyTime Technologies Private Limited, along with their founders and directors, for allegedly cheating users of real-money rummy platforms and laundering proceeds of crime amounting to nearly Rs 19,984 crore.
The complaint was filed before the Special Court in Bengaluru on Friday against Gameskraft Technologies, RummyTime Technologies Private Limited, founders Vikas Taneja, Prithvi Raj Singh, Deepak Singh Ahlawat, and other associated persons in connection with the operations of the RummyCulture app and related platforms.
According to the ED, the investigation was initiated on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by law enforcement agencies in Telangana for offences of cheating under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which are scheduled offences under the PMLA.
The probe agency alleged that the accused companies operated several online rummy brands, including RummyCulture, RummyPrime, Playship Rummy, and RummyTime, charging a platform commission ranging between 10 and 15 per cent of the total stake amount.
As intermediaries, the companies were legally obligated to ensure a fair, transparent, and secure gaming environment, the ED said.
However, the investigation purportedly revealed that the RummyCulture platform extensively deployed bots—automated programmes and algorithms — to play against unsuspecting users without their knowledge or consent.
The ED alleged that the companies adopted deceptive practices to increase user engagement and encourage higher wagering by offering bonuses, referral incentives, and promotional rewards in a phased manner.
The agency also claimed that the firms aggressively marketed their platforms through push notifications, SMS campaigns, telemarketing calls, and celebrity endorsements, creating an impression that users could easily earn money through online rummy.
The ED also alleged that users faced restrictive withdrawal conditions, including charges ranging from five to 10 per cent in certain cases.
Inactive users who had suffered financial losses were allegedly enticed back to the platforms through “Instant Cash” rewards linked to their revenue contribution.
“Through these fraudulent inducements and manipulative practices, the accused companies have effectively promoted addictive gaming behaviour among users,” the ED said in its press statement.
The agency added that, in several instances, financial losses and psychological distress allegedly linked to online gaming addiction resulted in suicides, leading to the registration of FIRs.
According to the ED, the total proceeds of crime generated by the accused companies in the form of commissions stood at nearly Rs 19,984 crore between the financial years 2017-18 and 2025-26.
Investigators have further alleged that the proceeds of crime were layered and integrated through dividend payments, share buybacks, investments in mutual funds, bonds, convertible notes, equity shares, movable assets, and high-value immovable properties. Some of these assets were allegedly held through family trusts and associated entities to disguise their origins.
The ED said that it has so far attached, seized, and frozen movable and immovable assets worth nearly Rs 2,401 crore held in the names of the accused individuals, their family members, and related entities.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
–IANS
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