Real-money gaming apps see sharp decline in downloads, start layoffs

Real-money gaming (RMG) apps have seen a steep fall in each day downloads after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was launched on August 20 and passed into law two days later.

Popular apps akin to Zupee, Winzo, Mobile Premier League (MPL) and PokerBaazi have seen between 60%-95% drop in new installs since August 20 when the web gaming invoice was launched and handed within the Lok Sabha, in accordance with information sourced by ET from app intelligence agency AppTweak, which tracks cell app efficiency throughout marketplaces.

Between August 20 and 30, Winzo averaged 45,900 each day downloads, down 69.7% from pre-ban ranges. Zupee, backed by Z47, noticed installs crash 95% to three,490 a day, whereas MPL’s rummy and fantasy titles slumped 73% to 367 a day.

Dream11 bucked the pattern. After an preliminary slowdown, the fantasy sports activities platform’s each day downloads settled at round 48,500, towards pre-ban ranges of round 25,000.

ETtech

The new regulation has enforced a blanket ban on real-money on-line video games, together with fantasy sports activities.

Many platforms, together with Dream Sports, MPL and Winzo, are actually pivoting to free-to-play codecs to melt the blow.

“While pivots may happen, the monetisation of those pivots will be nowhere close to real-money category. In fact, the business model is dead,” Jinesh Joshi, lead analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher, instructed ET.

Layoffs start

Several corporations are shedding workers as revenues from India have been almost worn out.

MPL is set to significantly downsize its India crew after halting all money-based video games, with cofounder Sai Srinivas telling workers in an inner e mail that the ban had eradicated its home income base.

In an interview with ET on August 26, Dream Sports CEO Harsh Jain referred to as the laws a “knockout punch,” saying it worn out 95% of the group’s income and 100% of its earnings in a single day. The firm has since shut real-money operations however won’t legally problem the ban.

Jain mentioned whereas advertising spends for the corporate will go right down to zero, he isn’t taking a look at shedding workers proper now. “We have 800 employees and can redeploy this talent toward sports AI, fan engagement, and the creator economy. Every part of our team, tech, design, ops, HR, legal remains relevant,” he mentioned. “We may need some cuts, but talent will be the last thing to go.”

Other gamers, including Zupee and Probo, have additionally discontinued real-money gaming.

These corporations had been already beneath strain after the GST Council’s 2023 resolution to impose a 28% tax on the total face worth of bets, with retrospective calls for.

“Companies may try to pivot to different models. But if monetisation suffers in transit, sustaining existing cost structures can be difficult. Layoffs are bound to happen over time,” Joshi mentioned.

Legal battle

While most operators have avoided difficult the regulation, Head Digital Works, which runs the rummy and poker platform A23, has filed a petition within the Karnataka High Court, changing into the primary RMG operator to contest it.

Some different main gamers that originally thought-about authorized recourse are actually undecided, a lawyer representing a number of gaming corporations instructed ET.

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