Mobile Premier League (MPL), one of India’s leading online gaming platforms, has announced plans to lay off approximately 60% of its domestic workforce following the Indian government’s recent ban on real-money online games.
The decision, which affects nearly 300 of MPL’s 500 India-based employees, marks one of the most significant workforce reductions in the country’s digital gaming sector to date.
The layoffs were confirmed in an internal email from MPL co-founder and CEO Sai Srinivas, who described the move as “a heavy-hearted decision” necessitated by the abrupt loss of revenue from the Indian market.
“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,” Sai wrote.
Ban on Paid Games Disrupts Industry Revenue Models for MPL and Others
The downsizing comes in response to the Online Gaming Act, 2025, which received Presidential assent on August 22.
The legislation imposes a blanket ban on all online games involving monetary stakes, including fantasy sports, rummy, and poker.
The government cited concerns over addiction and financial risks, particularly among youth, as the rationale behind the move.
The ban has forced MPL to suspend all cash-based games on its platform.
Its website now displays a compliance notice stating: “Deposits are no longer available on the MPL app. In compliance with law, no cash games are available on MPL”.
Departments Affected and Transition Support
The layoffs will impact employees across multiple departments, including marketing, operations, engineering, legal, and finance.
While MPL has assured staff of transition support, including career assistance and severance packages, specific details have not been publicly disclosed.
This is not MPL’s first encounter with regulatory headwinds.
The company previously navigated policy shifts in the gaming sector, but the current ban has had a more immediate and severe impact on its core business model.
Strategic Pivot to International Markets by MPL
In response to the ban, MPL is shifting its focus to free-to-play games and expanding its presence in international markets such as the United States and Brazil.
The company continues to operate paid gaming services in these regions, where regulatory frameworks are more favorable.
Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India) backed MPL, which reached a valuation of $2.3 billion in 2021 and generated approximately $100 million in revenue from India last year.
With its domestic revenue stream now halted, the company is recalibrating its strategy to sustain operations and growth abroad.
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