Mobile Premier League to layoff 60% Indian employees following online money gaming ban
Indian online gaming giant Mobile Premier League (MPL) has announced a massive downsizing of its India operations, laying off about 60% of its workforce.
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Indian online gaming giant Mobile Premier League (MPL) has announced a massive downsizing of its India operations, laying off about 60% of its workforce. The decision was made after the Indian government’s recent ban on paid online games.
Earlier this month, the government banned online paid games, citing financial risks and addiction concerns, particularly among young users. The legislation shut down popular fantasy cricket, rummy, and poker apps that had attracted millions of users across India. The ban has made a huge impact on the sector that was expected to grow into a USD 3.6 billion industry by 2029 and had drawn substantial investment from global venture capital firms such as Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners.
MPL, once valued at USD 2.3 billion in 2021, has been among the worst-hit companies. The platform, which provided paid fantasy cricket contests with real money rewards, will now turn towards free-to-play gaming while expanding operations in international markets such as the U.S. and Brazil. According to a company source, MPL will let go of around 300 out of its 500 employees in India, affecting teams across marketing, operations, engineering, finance, and legal functions. An internal email from CEO Sai Srinivas confirmed the layoffs.
"With a heavy heart, we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly. We are committed to providing those impacted with every possible support during this transition period ... India accounted for 50 per cent 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," the email read as quoted by India Today.
MPL’s major revenue came from India
Notably, India has been MPL’s largest market, providing nearly 50% of its revenue, estimated at USD 100 million last year. However, with the new regulations, MPL has revealed that it will no longer generate revenue from India in the near future. The ban has affected other major players, too.
Dream11, valued at USD 8 billion, has also discontinued its fantasy cricket offerings, while several platforms providing paid rummy and poker have shut down. While gaming company A23 has challenged the ban in court, MPL and Dream11 have decided not to pursue legal action.
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