The month of August has been nothing short of dreadful for the entire real-money gaming (RMG) sector, which collapsed in a matter of days (between August 18 and August 22).

A sector that had nurtured some of the country’s most ambitious tech entrepreneurs was gutted with the introduction of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. With this, the government finally concluded a long debate over games of skill or chance.

The fallout was prompt — all major RMG platforms suspended their pay-to-play services.

While there has been little to no impact on the withdrawal of funds on the users’ end, for founders, it is a lesson that regulatory burdens, ambiguities in laws and cultural taboos are enough to strangle an entire industry to its demise.

“It feels like we’re back to day zero, starting all over again,” the founder of a prominent RMG startup said. He added that when he entered the sector, he was totally aware of the risks. Still, he said, there was confidence that the government would try to work its way around and not raze an entire industry to the ground.

“Our balance sheets bear witness to the trust we had in the government,” the founder said, hinting at the lofty gains many in this line of business made over the years.

Of course, founders are mourning, but compliance is not up for debate, and most of them are not contemplating a legal battle. Instead, there is a shift towards survival, pivot, and new possibilities.

Making Peace With The........

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