Can Dream11, Pokerbaazi and other real money-based apps beat the blanket ban? Here are major gaming apps under lens

With the Lok Sabha passing the draft Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, several online gaming apps involving real money are facing a ban. The bill was passed by voice vote amid protest from the opposition.

ALSO READ: What is Online Gaming Bill? Why Centre is planning to ban games involving 'real money'

Dream11, My11Circle, MPL, Winzo, GamesKraft, 99Games, KheloFantasy, Games24x7, Pokerbaazi, RummyCulture and Parimatch are among the apps that could be banned once the bill becomes law.

Can Dream11, Pokerbaazi and others beat the blanket ban?

Dream11, Pokerbaazi and other online gaming apps involving real money have two options to avoid getting banned. The first option is to move offshore but at the cost of losing an already established business in India. The second option is to shift to a non-monetary format that does not involve real money. 

Here is a list of major apps facing the ban once the bill is passed.

Dream 11

Dream 11, which is among the leading fantasy sports apps in India, has been a seasonal favourite for users during tournaments like the IPL. It is No. 5 in the Sports category on App Store and has a rating of 4.4. On Play Store, it has 4.5 stars from 4 million reviews and has over 100 million downloads.

My11Circle

My11Circle allows users to make teams and get cash rewards. Besides cash prizes, the app also relies on entry fees to sustain its business. It is No 11 in App Store sports category and has 4.6 stars. With more than 50 million downloads, it has a rating of 4.3 on Play Store from 1.1 million reviews.

WinZo

WinZo allows users to choose from a variety of games, including puzzles, cards and quizzes. It No. 1 is the Card category on Apple Store and has 4.4 stars out of 5. On Play Store it has a 4.1 rating from 1 lakh reviews and 50 million downloads.

Junglee Games 

Junglee Games has specific apps for various categories, including Junglee Rummy, Junglee Poker and Junglee Ludo. Junglee Rummy, No. 3 in Casino category on App Store, has 4.3 stars while it has a 4.2 rating on Play Store with 10 million downloads. Junglee Poker is at No. 34 in Card category on App Store and has 1 million downloads on Play Store. It is rated 4.2 on both Apple and Android OS.

PokerBaazi 

PokerBaazi allows users to pay a fee to play in poker tournaments involving real money. The No. 21 card game on App Store has 4.6 stars. With 1 lakh downloads, it has a rating of 3.8 stars from 500-plus reviews.

Rummy Culture

Gameskraft, which runs card game apps like RummyCulture, has business model dependant on real money. Rummy Culture is ranked No. 10 in Casino category on App Store. On Play Store, it has 10 million downloads and 4.2 stars from 1 lakh reviews.