WinZO co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore arrested by ED for money laundering case [Photo: X]
Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of online gaming platform WinZO, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Bengaluru on Wednesday. She was taken into custody along with her co-founder, Paavan Nanda, on charges of money laundering. The ED had raided WinZO and another gaming company, Gamezkraft, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Saumya Singh Rathore co-founded WinZO in 2018 with Paavan Nanda. She was earlier part of the core team at ZO Rooms, where she worked as Chief of Staff from 2015. Her career focuses on strategic business growth, execution, and organisational development.
Saumya Singh Rathore’s net worth is approximately $366 million, which may vary.
Saumya Singh Rathore and he co-founder, Paavan Nanda, have a combined net worth of ₹962 crore. WinZO’s fast growth played a big role in this. The company posted strong numbers in FY 2023-24, with revenue rising 70% to ₹1,055 crore and profits increasing 151% to ₹315 crore, even after the steep 400% GST hike on online gaming from October 2023.
Saumya co-founded WinZO Games, an online real-money gaming platform. The platform allowed players to participate in games globally, including Brazil, the US, and Germany.
Saumya studied Applied Clinical Psychology at Bangalore University. She also completed a Master's in Organization & Consumer Psychology from the University of Manchester between 2008 and 2009.
Saumya was actively involved in WinZO as co-founder and strategic leader until her arrest.
She began her career at ZO Rooms in 2015, working on strategy, budgeting, post-merger integration, business development, and organisational structuring.
The ED arrested her over alleged money laundering linked to real-money gaming. The controversy arose after the Union government banned real-money gaming in India.
ED claims WinZO continued real-money gaming operations after the ban. The agency said ₹43 crore was allegedly held by the company instead of being refunded to players.
Saumya Singh Rathore is 36 years old.
WinZO was co-founded by Saumya Singh Rathore and Paavan Nanda in 2018. Both share ownership and strategic control.
ED accused WinZO of “engaging in criminal activities and unscrupulous practices” and operating real-money games abroad from India. The agency froze ₹505 crore in assets to prevent misuse.
WinZO responded, saying, “Fairness and transparency are core to how WinZO designs and operates its platform. Our focus remains on protecting our users and ensuring a secure, trustworthy experience.”
