“MPL to cut 60% of India workforce following money-based gaming ban: Report”

MPL to lay off 60% of India staff after paid gaming ban.

Indian online gaming company Mobile Premier League (MPL) plans to cut around 60% of its India workforce, following the government’s recent ban on paid online games, according to a company source. The downsizing will affect roughly 300 of MPL’s 500 India employees across marketing, finance, operations, engineering, and legal divisions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government banned paid online games this month, citing financial risks and concerns over addiction among youth. The move has disrupted India’s fast-growing online gaming sector, which was projected to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2029. Popular platforms like MPL and Dream11 relied heavily on paid fantasy cricket, rummy, and poker games offering financial prizes.

In an internal email, MPL CEO Sai Srinivas wrote, “With a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India team significantly… 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.”

MPL, which is pivoting to free-to-play games and expanding in the US market, is not pursuing legal challenges against the ban. Rival Dream11 has also discontinued its paid fantasy offerings, while other apps in India have similarly halted paid poker and rummy games.

Backed by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), MPL was valued at USD 2.3 billion in 2021, with last year’s India revenue estimated at around USD 100 million.