India’s recent ban on real-money online gaming has led to a sharp decline in digital payments made through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform in August 2025. This ban, enforced by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, specifically targets games like rummy, poker, fantasy sports, and other real-money stakes. The Numbers Tell the Story UPI transactions related to gaming fell by around 23-26% in volume and value in August compared to July. The number of UPI payments for gaming dropped from 351.24 million in July to 270.7 million in August. The value of gaming-related UPI payments plunged from ₹10,076.56 crore to ₹7,441.14 crore, a ₹2,500 crore drop in less than two weeks following the ban. What Caused This Drop? The government banned all real-money online games , removing a large chunk of high-frequency, low-value transactions from platforms like Dream11, MPL, Zupee, and others. UPI was a primary payment mode for gaming wallets, respons...
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