The consequences of India’s sudden decision to ban real money gaming are starting to have an impact on the country’s economy.
Reuters reports that the Indian online gaming app Mobile Premier League (MPL) is set to slash 60% of its local workforce following the passing of the Promotion and Regulations of Online Gaming Bill 2025, which prohibits the promotion of real money games due to the perceived negative societal impacts.
Reports from the staffing firm CIEL HR also suggest that the gaming ban has left almost 2,000 workers searching for new jobs amid the uncertainty within the sector.
Following the abrupt regulatory shift, MPL joined the likes of Flutter and Dream11 in pulling its RMG offering from the Indian market, choosing to focus on its free-to-play games and its operations in Europe, the US and Brazil.
As a result, a source within the company has told Reuters that 300 of its 500 staff in India will be let go from across its marketing, finance, operations, engineering and legal divisions.
An internal email, seen by Reuters, from MPL’s CEO, Sai Srinivas, said: “With a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly.
“We are committed to providing those impacted with every possible support during this transition period … India accounted for 50% of M-League’s revenues and this change would mean that we would no longer be making any revenue from India in the near future.”
Operators in the country, including large domestic players such as Dream11 and international operators like Flutter, responded to the ruling by pulling their RMG offerings from the market.
iGaming Expert has reached out to MPL for comment.
Economic consequences
Industry bodies in the country, such as the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), have written to India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighting the economic consequences of passing the law.
The Indian gaming industry is currently valued at $3.7bn and was projected to hit $9.1bn by 2029, according to the India Gaming Report 2025.
The decision has also been met with its first legal challenge.
Head Digital Works, the parent company of A23, has filed a petition against the bill, describing the new law as a “product of state paternalism”.
In its filing with the High Court of Karnataka, viewed by Reuters, A23 warned that the decision, which was approved by India’s parliament last week, “criminalises the legitimate business of playing online games of skill, which would result in the closure of various gaming companies overnight”.
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