The recent Online Gaming Bill has shaken India’s booming gaming sector, forcing some of the country’s biggest platforms to pull the plug on their real-money gaming operations. Popular players like Dream11, MPL, Zupee, WinZo, RummyCulture, and A23—once synonymous with fantasy cricket, poker, and rummy—have been compelled to shut or scale down real-money segments that thrived on user bets and quick cash returns. The bill, aimed at tightening regulations and curbing addiction, has drastically altered the business model for companies that built their fortunes on skill-based money gaming.
Even household names backed by strong investors were not spared. Hike’s Rush, Probo, Games24x7 (My11Circle, RummyCircle), and Nazara’s poker vertical with PokerBaazi either closed or pivoted, struggling to survive under the new compliance-heavy regime. These platforms, which once flooded social media and cricket broadcasts with ads promising instant wins, are now retreating quietly, burning investor money in the process. What was once seen as the next unicorn wave in India’s startup ecosystem has suddenly become an unpredictable gamble.
The domino effect is also visible beyond gaming apps—Cricbuzz11, a fantasy spin-off of the popular cricket platform, has also stepped away from the real money gaming scene. With this, the industry is witnessing a mass exodus, leaving behind a huge void in the ₹16,000 crore online gaming market. While casual and free-to-play gaming continues unhindered, the sheen of India’s real money gaming gold rush has clearly dulled, and the big question now is: who will adapt, and who will fade away for good?
Even household names backed by strong investors were not spared. Hike’s Rush, Probo, Games24x7 (My11Circle, RummyCircle), and Nazara’s poker vertical with PokerBaazi either closed or pivoted, struggling to survive under the new compliance-heavy regime. These platforms, which once flooded social media and cricket broadcasts with ads promising instant wins, are now retreating quietly, burning investor money in the process. What was once seen as the next unicorn wave in India’s startup ecosystem has suddenly become an unpredictable gamble.
The domino effect is also visible beyond gaming apps—Cricbuzz11, a fantasy spin-off of the popular cricket platform, has also stepped away from the real money gaming scene. With this, the industry is witnessing a mass exodus, leaving behind a huge void in the ₹16,000 crore online gaming market. While casual and free-to-play gaming continues unhindered, the sheen of India’s real money gaming gold rush has clearly dulled, and the big question now is: who will adapt, and who will fade away for good?
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