MPL Cuts 400 Jobs as India's Real-Money Gaming Era Ends
- MPL to lay off around 400 employees (60–80% of India workforce) due to real-money gaming ban.
- India contributed 50% of MPL’s M-League revenue; ban halts domestic earnings.
- MPL strengthens international presence in Africa, Europe, and North America to offset losses.
MPL, one of India’s leading real-money gaming companies, is set to lay off around 400 employees in India after the government imposed a ban on real-money gaming. The company had a workforce of 500-600 employees in India, meaning 60-80% of its staff will be affected. The layoffs will impact multiple departments, including policy, marketing, finance, operations, engineering, and legal.
The announcement was made by MPL Co-founder Sai Srinivas in a company memo. He explained that India contributed to 50% of MPL’s M-League revenues and that the ban would temporarily halt revenue generation from the country. “While this is a big setback, it doesn’t change our mission”, Srinivas said. “We now need to explore a new business model for MPL in India, and our leadership team is committed to achieving that”.
Despite this setback in India, MPL has already established a strong international presence. The company has expanded to Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. Its first foray into Africa was in Nigeria through a partnership with Carry1st, a major mobile gaming publisher, aiming to reach over 270 million gamers. MPL has also acquired the German startup GameDuell to enter the European market. International operations now contribute about 31% of MPL’s total revenue, with Europe accounting for nearly 28% and the US around 2.6%.
Other real-money gaming companies in India are taking different approaches to navigate the ban. For instance, Dream11 has stated it plans to explore alternative models such as free-to-play games and merchandise, without announcing layoffs. However, MPL’s decision to cut most of its India workforce could signal tougher times ahead for smaller gaming startups in the country, potentially leading to significant job losses in the sector.
The move highlights the challenges India’s real-money gaming industry now faces and underscores the urgent need for companies to adapt quickly to regulatory changes while sustaining their growth in international markets.
