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. Sai Srinivas wrote “with a heavy heart we have decided that we will be downsizing our India Team significantly”. He did not specify the number of job cuts in the email. "We are committed to providing those impacted with every possible support during this transition period ... 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," he added. 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. The company is now focusing on free-to-play games and its US business as part of a major downsizing exercise after India’s online money gaming ban.