General
Synopsis
Pokerbaazi has announced a halt to its real money online gaming services. This decision follows the passage of the Online Gaming Bill by the Parliament. The company stated that the suspension is effective immediately. Pokerbaazi will assess its next steps after the Bill becomes law. The company expressed sadness about this development. The future of Pokerbaazi’s operations remains uncertain.
Pokerbaazi announced on Friday that it has stopped offering real money online gaming operations due to the Online Gaming Bill passed by the Parliament on August 21.
“With a very heavy heart, we announce that PokerBaazi will be pausing its operations in compliance with The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Effective immediately, no real money games will be offered on our platform,” the company said in a release.
The company will evaluate the future course of action following the enactment of the Bill, it added.
Pokerbaazi assured its users that the funds remain completely safe, as users will continue to have full access to wallets and withdrawals.
Our player Relations team will remain available to support you with anu queries or assistance you may need during this transition, Pokerbaazi said.
Nazara Technologies Ltd. holds 46.07% stake in Moonshine Technologies Pvt. Ltd. that runs the real money gaming platform Pokerbaazi. The said stake is worth ₹800 crore of Nazara’s investment in the platform.
In an interview with CNBC-TV18, joint MD and CEO Nitish Mittersain said, “We own about 46% in the company, and it’s speculative now, because we don’t know what the content of the Bill is. But if there is a move, as the media has reported, to ban online real money gaming, then of course, that particular investment could potentially be at risk.”
As the Online Gaming Bill 2025 awaits presidential assent, gaming companies have started shutting down real-money gaming offerings with India’s largest fantasy sports platform, Dream11 announcing cessation of operations starting Friday. Others in the group include Zupee, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Probo, and My11Circle.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2025 seeks to impose a blanket prohibition on real-money gaming apps in the country. The bill has been passed by the Parliament during the monsoon session, and now awaits president’s approval.