September 1, 2025

The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shook the gaming world this month with a sharp ban on online paid games. Why? They pointed fingers at financial risks and addiction dangers especially for young players. This bold move forced many top apps offering paid fantasy cricket, rummy, and poker to shut shop or rethink big. One giant feeling the heat is Mobile Premier League (MPL), a star in India's gaming scene backed by big investors like Peak XV Partners. A company insider revealed that MPL will let go about 60% of its local staff—meaning nearly 300 of its 500 employees in India will lose their jobs. These cuts hit marketing, finance, operations, engineering, and legal teams hard. In a heartfelt internal email seen by Reuters, MPL CEO Sai Srinivas wrote, "with a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly." He also promised, "We are committed to providing those impacted with every possible support during this transition period." MPL's India market once brought in half of its global revenue, around $100 million last year, but now, "we would no longer be making any revenue from India in the near future," the CEO added. This ban has slammed shut the doors for many paid games. Dream11, another huge fantasy cricket name valued at $8 billion, has also stopped its paid cricket contests. Other apps that offered poker and rummy for real money have followed suit. But why the uproar? The government insists these games pose addiction and financial troubles to youth. Meanwhile, the industry argues these games require skill, not luck, and don't count as gambling—a claim the law still rejected. MPL is now turning its eyes overseas to free-to-play games in Europe and paid games in the USA and Brazil to stay afloat. Interestingly, a company called A23 challenged the ban legally, but big players MPL and Dream11 have so far chosen not to fight in court. This crackdown on online paid gaming is a blockbuster twist that slams the brakes on a sector expected to boom to $3.6 billion by 2029. Jobs are cut, apps paused, and the gaming party in India paused for now. But will the industry bounce back or remain at a standstill? Only time will tell!

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Tags: Mpl, Online paid games ban, Fantasy cricket, Job cuts, India gaming industry, Dream11,