India bans money-based online games: How gaming platforms reacted – News Air Insight

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Several online gaming platforms, including Dream11, My11Circle, WinZO, Zupee, and Nazara Technologies-backed PokerBaazi, have halted their real-money online gaming offerings after the Online Gaming Bill was cleared by the Parliament.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was cleared by the Parliament on August 21 and received President Droupadi Murmu's assent on August 22.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was cleared by the Parliament on August 21 and received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on August 22.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was cleared by the Parliament on August 21 and received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent on August 22.

The law prohibits all online money gaming services, imposing penalties of up to three years imprisonment and fines reaching 1 crore for facilitators. Advertising such platforms carries sentences of up to two years and fines of 50 lakh.

How the industry reacted

Online fantasy game My11Circle, owned and operated by Play Games24x7 Pvt Ltd, in a social media post, said it is suspending all gaming services that involve real money.

Popular fantasy sports platform Dream11 also announced that it has shut its shop.

Also Read | WinZO, Dream11, MPL: Full list of online money gaming platforms not working now

“As per The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, cash games and contests have been discontinued on Dream11,” the company’s website said.

In a post on X, the company said it has always been a law-abiding compay and have done business in compliance with the laws.

“We have always been and always will be a law-abiding company, and have conducted our business in compliance with the laws,” Dream11 said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“While we believe that progressive regulations would have been the right way forward, we will respect the law and will fully comply with ‘The Promotion & Regulation of Online Gaming Law, 2025’.”

PokerBaazi, in a post on X, said user funds remain completely safe and will be accessible for withdrawals.

“With a very heavy heart, we announce that PokerBaazi will be pausing its operations in compliance with The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Effective immediately, no real money games will be offered on our platform,” it said.

WinZO, which held a portfolio of over 100 real money games, said it is “responsibly withdrawing impacted offerings” in full compliance with the law of the land, effective immediately.

Its real money gaming portfolio includes games like Rummy, Solitaire, Dehla Pakad, Fantasy Cricket, and Poker.

Mobile Premier League (MPL) has also suspended all of its real-money gaming offerings in India.

“Effective immediately, we are suspending all gaming offerings involving money on the MPL platform in India.

“Our foremost priority is our users. While new deposits will no longer be accepted, customers will be able to withdraw their balances seamlessly. However, online money games will not be available on the MPL platform anymore,” it said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday.

According to PTI, MPL has over 120 million registered users across Asia, Europe, and North America.



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