Opinion trading platform Probo has shut down its real-money gaming operations in India after Rajya Sabha approved the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which seeks to ban all real-money online games.
In a statement on its app, Probo told users: “In light of recent developments, we have paused all recharge activities in your best interest. We request you to withdraw your funds.”
The legislation, which now awaits President Droupadi Murmu’s assent, seeks to impose a nationwide ban on real money games (RMGs) such as Dream11, WinZO, and RummyCircle. Notably, the bill also prescribes penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment and fines of Rs 1 crore for offenders.
“As unfortunate as it is, we respect the Government of India’s latest Online Gaming Bill. In light of this development, Probo has decided to discontinue its real money gaming operations with immediate effect until further notice,” a Probo spokesperson said.
Probo was already under pressure before the new law. In July, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, freezing fixed deposits, shares, and bank lockers worth Rs 284.5 crore. The raids targeted promoters Ashish Garg and Sachin Subhaschandra Gupta, based on multiple FIRs filed across Gurugram, Palwal, and Agra.
One complaint, lodged by a Gurugram resident, alleged that he lost Rs 20,000 through the app, which allows users to wager on real-world events via binary “Yes” or “No” predictions. The FIR accused Probo’s directors of inducing gambling under the guise of “opinion trading,” invoking provisions of the Public Gambling Act, 1867, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The company is also facing proceedings in multiple courts. While the Bombay High Court has stayed trial proceedings in one case, the Supreme Court has taken over a batch of petitions challenging the legality of opinion trading platforms. Several public interest litigations across states argue such services are indistinguishable from betting.
Probo’s shutdown highlights the broader turbulence in the real-money gaming sector, which reports claims to employ about two lakh people and contributes roughly Rs 20,000 crore in taxes.
Anurag Dhandhi, Probo’s business head, argued that opinion trading should be treated as a skill-based activity rather than gambling. He noted that in the United States, similar platforms are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as financial markets for information exchange.
“By fostering responsible participation, opinion trading goes beyond entertainment. It contributes to financial literacy, data-driven decision-making, and strengthens the larger digital economy,” he earlier said.
“We fully accept the Government of India’s decision, and though tough for the team, we make our peace with it. For 16 years, almost everyone advised me against this idea—today they seem right. Love to all who cared and still do,” CEO Sachin Gupta wrote in a LinkedIn post on Friday.
