MPL To Cut 60% India Staff After Govt Ban On Real Money Games

Gaming unicorn Mobile Premier League (MPL) will cut about 60% of its India workforce after the ban on online real money games. 

Cofounder Sai Srinivas Kiran told employees in an internal mail that the company will be making major job cuts in India, Reuters reported.

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MPL CEO Sai Srinivas said the Indian government’s online gaming ban has wiped out the company’s business in India, forcing it to lay off staff.

Around 300 of MPL’s 500 India employees across marketing, finance, operations, engineering, and legal will be laid off, Reuters reported. 

The Bengaluru-based company is shifting focus to free-to-play games and its US business after India’s ban on online money gaming. Backed by Peak XV Partners, MPL was valued at $2.3B in 2021. Its India revenue was about $100M in 2024–25, according to Reuters.

Earlier this month, India banned paid online games, citing risks of addiction and financial harm among youth. The move forced many fantasy cricket, rummy, and poker apps to shut down, hitting an industry projected to reach $3.6B by 2029.

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MPL rival dream11 has given up its sponsorship of the Indian cricket team and halted money-based fantasy games, but CEO Harsh Jain said it will not lay off employees.

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