Games24X7 to lay off 70% employees as real money gaming ban pinches

Online gaming company Games24x7 is set to lay off around 500 employees after the government halted all money-based games in the country, according to people aware of the development.

The move comes close on the heels of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, taking effect, imposing a blanket ban on real-money gaming. The layoffs are expected to affect nearly 70% of the company’s workforce, which stood at around 777 employees as of July 31, according to Tracxn.

Queries emailed to the company and messages to founders Bhavin Pandya and Trivikraman Thampy did not elicit a response till press time.


The Act, which came into effect last month, banned real-money online games, including fantasy sports, prompting platforms such as Dream Sports, MPL and Winzo to pivot to free-to-play formats and diversify into other businesses.

Also Read: Dream11, My11Circle, other real money gaming firms begin discontinuing offerings

Several other firms are also firing employees as revenues from India have been nearly wiped out. Earlier this month, ET reported that MPL had decided to significantly downsize its India team after halting money-based games, with cofounder Sai Srinivas telling employees in an internal email that the ban had eliminated its domestic revenue base.

In an interview to ET on August 26, Dream Sports CEO Harsh Jain called the legislation a “knockout punch”, saying it wiped out 95% of the group’s revenue and 100% of its profits overnight. While Dream Sports has since shut its real-money operations, Jain said the company will not legally challenge the ban. He added that while marketing spends will drop to zero, there are no immediate plans for layoffs.

While most operators have refrained from challenging the law, Head Digital Works, which runs the rummy and poker platform A23, has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court, becoming the first RMG operator to contest the ban.