President Droupadi Murmu signed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 into law on Friday (August 22, 2025), with just one more step left — notification by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology — before the prohibition of real money games (RMGs) comes into effect in India. Even as the breakneck enactment was completed in the space of three days, from Cabinet approval to clearing both Houses of Parliament, RMG firms said they would wind down.

Firms’ reactions reflect, at least for the moment, a collectively non-confrontational stance towards the ban.  “In compliance with the new law, we are responsibly withdrawing impacted offerings w.e.f 22nd August 2025,” WinZO, which says it has over 25 crore users, said in a statement. IT Ministry officials told reporters that notwithstanding a brief period where users would be able to withdraw money they have deposited, the Act would be notified as soon as possible.

“As per The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, cash games and contests have been discontinued,” Dream11 said in a statement on its website. “PokerBaazi has paused real money gaming in compliance with the Act, PokerBaazi said. “Your funds are 100% safe and available for withdrawal.” 

“While this chapter pauses here, we remain hopeful that the future will once again allow us to celebrate the game we all love,” the PokerBaazi statement added. Adda52, the other major poker platform in India, similarly said that “cash games and deposits are no longer available on our platform.” “In compliance with law, no cash games are available on MPL,” the Dream11 competitor said in a statement. RummyCircle also “discontinued” all cash games.

Some of the top mobile gaming apps have suspended real-money games after parliament passed a ban on Thursday (August 22, 2025), threatening the future of a sector once projected to hit $3.6 billion by 2029.

The sudden ban on online real-money games, along with related ads and payment services, has jolted an industry backed by investors such as Tiger Global and Peak XV Partners.

Popular apps like Dream11, PokerBaazi and Mobile Premier League have halted their real-money offerings, the companies said.

Justifying the ban, the government flagged the high risk of financial harm to users and called them “harmful” due to potential psychological damage.

The ban sparked a sell-off in Nazara Tech’s stock, which has a 46.07% stake in PokerBaazi operator, Moonshine Technologies, that ceased offering online games played with money on Friday. Nazara’s shares have fallen about 17% in three sessions, cumulatively.

Gaming firms are consulting lawyers on moving to the Supreme Court against the ban, arguing it lacked consultation, threatens a fast-growing sector, and wrongly includes skill-based games like poker, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing two gaming industry sources with direct knowledge of the matter.