Amid the government’s ban on online money games, Mobile Premier League (MPL) is planning to lay off 60 per cent of its local workforce, citing the banned paid games as the reason, according to Reuters. The report mentioned that the company would let go of around 300 of its 500 India staff from the domains such as marketing, finance, operations, engineering and legal. MPL is a gaming platform based in Bengaluru that previously hosted games involving financial stakes and prize money.
Banning of online money games
The Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, on August 20, which bans all online games involving financial stakes, regardless of whether they are based on skill or chance. The bill was subsequently passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 21 and received presidential assent on August 22, making it law.
The government’s official press note stated that, “The legislation is designed to curb addiction, financial ruin and social distress caused by predatory gaming platforms that thrive on misleading promises of quick wealth. It reflects the government’s resolve to safeguard families while guiding the digital economy towards safe and constructive growth.”
Layoff by MPL and internal email
As reported by Reuters, citing an internal staff email sent on Sunday, MPL CEO Sai Srinivas wrote, “With a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly.” He added, “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.”
Backed by Peak XV Partners, formerly known as Sequoia Capital India, MPL was valued at $2.3 billion in 2021, according to the data by Pitchbook. The company also has free-to-play offerings in Europe and paid games in the United States and Brazil. According to the Reuters report, the online money gaming industry believes that these games rely on skill and therefore are not gambling, which was already highly restricted in India.
The industry, backed by Venture capital firms such as Tiger Global and Peak XV partners, was expected to be worth $3.6 billion by 2029. MPL and rival Dream11 became popular in recent years by offering paid fantasy cricket games that allow winners to receive financial prizes.
The reports also mentioned MPL’s India revenue last year was roughly $100 million. MPL’s rival, Dream11, valued at $8 billion, has also discontinued its fantasy cricket offering. Many other apps offering paid poker and rummy card games have also stopped.