WPT Global to Exit India as Nationwide Ban on Real-Money Gaming Looms

WPT Global, one of the last remaining online poker operators in India, has confirmed it will withdraw from the market on September 30, just ahead of the government’s expected October 1 enforcement of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.

In an email to its Indian players, the operator urged users to withdraw funds as soon as possible. From October 1, accounts will only remain accessible for cash-out requests, while those holding Passport Dollars were directed to contact support.

The new bill, introduced by Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and rapidly passed by both houses of Parliament in August, imposes a blanket ban on all real-money online games. Within 72 hours of its approval, nearly all major platforms—including PokerBaazi, PokerStars India, Junglee Poker, Adda52, Spartan Poker, Natural8, and MPL Poker—ceased operations. The mass shutdown has been compared to the U.S. poker industry’s “Black Friday” in 2011.

Industry leaders criticized the speed of the decision. Flutter International CEO Peter Jackson expressed disappointment, noting that Junglee had invested heavily in India, employing more than 1,100 staff to deliver skill-based games with a focus on responsible gaming.

While WPT Global initially continued serving players, reports surfaced in mid-September that the government aimed to enforce the ban from October 1, prompting the operator’s final retreat. This move effectively ends all of WPT’s ties to India, despite its strong brand presence in the country, which had included partnerships with PokerBaazi and Adda52.

Today, Indian players are left with very limited real-money poker options. Most global operators, such as 888poker, Unibet, and GGPoker, have already exited, while some local platforms like PokerStars India and PokerBaazi now operate only in free-play mode, offering virtual tournaments and small prizes instead of cash games.

WPT Global’s exit marks the end of an era for India’s real-money online poker market, which until recently had been one of the most dynamic and promising in Asia.

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