As India Bans Real-money Games, Dream Sports, Mpl Start Pulling The Plug

Top Indian startups successful nan real-money gaming abstraction person begun shutting down operations aft New Delhi efficaciously banned nan assemblage done caller authorities that’s now connected nan verge of becoming law.

On Thursday, nan precocious location of nan Indian parliament passed nan Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 — proposing to wholly prohibition real-money gaming while aiming to beforehand casual online games and e-sports. The ballot came conscionable a time aft nan measure cleared nan little house, leaving only statesmanlike assent earlier it becomes rule — a formality expected to hap soon.

Shortly aft nan measure passed successful nan parliament, Indian unicorns Dream Sports and Mobile Premier League (MPL) — on pinch different startups for illustration Gameskraft, Probo, and Zupee — began shutting down their real-money gaming operations. Some of these companies informed labor of their determination pursuing nan bill’s transition successful nan little location connected Wednesday, while others began notifying users straight done their apps.

Dream Sports, which counts investors including Tiger Global, Multiples, Alpha Wave Global, and TCV, has unopen down its precocious launched quick-play imagination gaming app, Dream Picks. Its different apps involving real-money transactions, including nan widely-popular Dream11 and Dream Play, were still operational astatine nan clip of filing. However, TechCrunch has learned that nan Mumbai-based startup plans to unopen down its real-money gaming business wholly erstwhile nan authorities comes into effect.

At its municipality hallway gathering connected Wednesday, nan startup informed its labor astir nan implications of nan law, a personification acquainted pinch nan matter told TechCrunch, requesting anonymity arsenic nan gathering was internal. Indian tract Entrackr reported immoderate specifications astir nan gathering earlier.

Dream Sports was readying to grow extracurricular India, 2 group privy to nan accusation informed TechCrunch, connected information of sharing it anonymously, arsenic nan scheme was not public.

The startup besides had immoderate business talks for its Indian real-money business earlier this week that were astir to beryllium finalized, an investor root told TechCrunch.

A Dream Sports spokesperson declined to comment.

Similar to Dream Sports, MPL, backed by investors including Peak XV, Times Internet, MSA Novo, and Crown Capital, has suspended each real-money games and is nary longer taking deposits.

“Deposit rate (minus GST) will beryllium disposable for withdrawal from 22 Aug. 2025,” a notification connected nan MPL app reads.

MPL app showing a announcement saying, “Deposits are nary longer available”Image Credits:MPL (Screenshot)

Zupee, backed by investors including WestCap Group, Tomales Bay Capital, Nepean Capital, AJ Capital, and Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), has besides unopen down real-money games pinch contiguous effect.

“In statement pinch nan caller Online Gaming Bill 2025, we are discontinuing paid games, but our hugely celebrated free titles for illustration Ludo Supreme, Ludo Turbo, Snakes & Ladders, and Trump Card Mania will proceed to beryllium disposable for each users for free,” a Zupee spokesperson said successful a statement.

Probo, different Peak XV-backed startup, which besides counts Elevation Capital and The Fundamentum Partnership among its cardinal investors, stopped its real-money gaming operations aft nan parliament greenlit nan legislation.

“As unfortunate arsenic it is, we respect nan authorities of India’s latest Online Gaming bill. In ray of this development, Probo has decided to discontinue its real-money gaming (RMG) operations pinch contiguous effect until further notice,” nan Gurugram-based startup said.

Bootstrapped startup Gameskraft has besides stopped accepting money connected its rummy apps arsenic a consequence of nan legislation. Similarly, Times Internet-owned imagination cricket crippled Cricbuzz11 has discontinued its operations.

“Deposits (net of GST) will beryllium refunded to slope relationship wrong 30 days,” nan app says connected a announcement to users.

In summation to nan shutdown of real-money gaming operations, galore labor astatine these startups person begun searching for caller jobs, pinch hundreds posting astir their occupation hunt connected societal media.

“We nary longer person a unafraid job, arsenic these companies are expected to trim immoderate roles successful nan coming days to prolong their business and fulfill investors,” 1 employee, who requested anonymity for fearfulness of jeopardizing early opportunities, told TechCrunch.

Even though these startups could situation nan rule successful nan Indian Supreme Court erstwhile it comes into effect, astir person chosen not to prosecute that route.

“This appraisal is meticulous — they will person a reliable conflict successful nan Supreme Court,” a nationalist argumentation master moving pinch immoderate of these real-money gaming startups told TechCrunch, requesting anonymity for fearfulness of losing clients.

Real-money gaming startups successful India person a mixed endeavor valuation of ₹2 trillion (approximately $23 billion), make cumulative revenues of ₹310 cardinal (around $3.6 billion), and lend ₹200 cardinal (roughly $2.29 billion) annually successful nonstop and indirect taxes, per estimates cited by manufacture bodies successful their letters to nan Indian Prime Minister and Home Minister earlier this week. They besides task a 28% compound yearly maturation complaint that would double nan industry’s size by 2028.