The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Bengaluru has rocked the gaming world by arresting Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore, two top bosses of New Delhi-based WinZO Games Pvt. Ltd. The charges? Money laundering connected to their online real-money gaming business. On November 26, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, these directors were caught and produced in court in Bengaluru. Last week, ED swooped down with searches at WinZO’s office and Rathore’s home after FIRs accused the company of cheating, blocking accounts, impersonation, and misusing PAN cards. The shocking twist? ED says WinZO tricked players by making them play against computer algorithms, not real people. And worse, they hid this fact from users while stopping or limiting withdrawals from their wallets. This crafty cheating piled up 'proceeds of crime' worth a massive ₹505 crore. The ED has frozen these assets, including bank balances, bonds, fixed deposits, and mutual funds, under Section 17(1A) of PMLA. But there’s more! WinZO allegedly kept running real-money games in countries like Brazil, the U.S., and Germany from their India base, defying the Indian government’s ban. The same app served global users, blending all game types, including money-based ones. Further digging exposed huge money sent abroad. Around USD 55 million (₹489.9 crore) was funneled into U.S. bank accounts under 'WINZO US Inc.', called a shell company by ED. Indian officials reportedly handled all key decisions and accounts for this U.S. entity. This investigation throws a spotlight on the dark side of online gaming. From hiding tricks to funneling crores overseas, WinZO’s alleged scam shows how risky and tangled the online real-money gaming world has become.