Baazi Games lays off 200+ employees due to new gaming law
Baazi Games, an associate firm of Nazara Technologies, just let go of over 200 staff—nearly 45% of its team—after India's new law banned real-money online gaming on August 22.
The rule stops cash bets on skill games, so Baazi had to pause all real-money contests on PokerBaazi but is keeping free-to-play games running.
Baazi's revenue skyrocketed in last financial year
Over 200 people (about 45% of Baazi's workforce) lost their jobs in this round.
Parent company Moonshine Technology saw revenue jump from ₹268 crore in FY23 to ₹414.9 crore in FY24, with PokerBaazi making up more than 85% of that.
Even after a huge ₹982 crore investment from Nazara last September, the company is currently evaluating a pivot to casual and free-to-play gaming.
Mobile Premier League also set to cut jobs
It's not just Baazi feeling the heat—Mobile Premier League is reportedly set to cut up to 80% of its India team too.
The new rules are shaking up jobs across the whole online gaming scene.
Moonshine Technology's journey so far
Moonshine Technology started back in 2014 with PokerBaazi and later branched out into card games (CardBaazi) and sports trading (SportsBaazi).
Now, thanks to changing laws, they are currently evaluating a pivot to casual games—proof that even big players have to keep adapting.