India’s gaming ban forces MPL to lay off 60% of workforce

Mobile Premier League (MPL), a Bengaluru-based online gaming platform, is poised to lay off approximately 60 per cent of its Indian workforce—roughly 300 out of 500 employees—after India’s government enacted a sweeping ban on paid online games, according to a source familiar with the matter. This marks the industry's first confirmed response to the new regulation.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in August and assented by the President shortly thereafter, bans online games involving monetary stakes—including fantasy sports, poker, and rummy—citing concerns over financial harm and addiction among youth.

In an internal email obtained by Reuters, CEO Sai Srinivas wrote: “With a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly.” He added that MPL would offer support during the transition and cautioned that India, which previously accounted for 50 per cent of MPL’s revenue, would no longer contribute income in the foreseeable future.

Industry observers emphasise the realities behind these numbers: MPL’s India revenue in the past year was estimated at around USD 100 million, according to the same company source. The gaming sector in India had been projected to reach a market value of USD 3.6 billion by 2029.

The ban has rattled the venture capital–backed gaming industry, which includes heavyweights such as Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India). MPL itself was valued at around USD 2.3 billion in 2021, while its rival Dream11 was valued at USD 8 billion. Dream11 has also suspended its fantasy cricket offerings in compliance with the new law.

Unlike A23, which has challenged the ban in the Karnataka High Court on grounds that it criminalises skill-based games, both MPL and Dream11 have opted not to mount a legal challenge.

MPL is shifting its strategy toward expanding its free-to-play offerings in Europe and bolstering operations in the US and Brazil to offset the blow from the Indian shutdown.