Thousands of online gaming jobs on the line as ban bites

Games24x7, Baazi Games began rolling out the layoffs on Monday; MPL started a day earlier

- Shouvik Das & Sakshi Sadashiv

The ban on real money gaming has begun to take a toll on jobs, even as the IT ministry stands firm against the sector, which it says causes losses, addiction, and social harm.

While Games24x7 and Baazi Games began rolling out the layoffs on Monday, Mobile Premier League (MPL) sacked half of its staff a day earlier.

Dream11, the country's largest gaming operator, is yet to announce its plans so far, though its founder has previously said the ban would slash its revenue.

Games24x7, India's third-largest money gaming platform, and Baazi Games, backed by publicly-listed Nazara Technologies, are reducing staff by half, three people aware of the matter said.

The two companies have begun communicating the decision to employees gradually.

Spokespersons of Games24x7 and Baazi Games did not respond to requests for comment.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act imposes a complete ban on all real-money online games, regardless of whether they are based on skill or chance.