Mobile Premier League (MPL), described as one of India's leading online gaming platforms, has disabled features including MPL Opinio and MPL Fantasy for users located in Haryana1. The company set out the change in its Terms and Conditions, stating that formats tied to events with unknown outcomes would not be available to users in the state1.
"Formats that pertain to events whose outcome is unknown, specifically MPL Opinio and MPL Fantasy, shall not be used by users located in the state of Haryana."
The move follows the passing of the Haryana Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025, which the article describes as a significant development in the state's approach to regulating gambling and gaming1. The Act aims to curb gambling both offline and digital, including betting on sports and match fixing or spot fixing within Haryana1. Its scope extends to online platforms accessible within the state's territorial limits, even where the operator has no physical or corporate presence there1.
The Act distinguishes games of chance from games of skill, defining a game of skill as one where success depends principally on the player's superior knowledge, training, attention, experience and adroitness, despite an element of chance1. A proviso allows the state government to notify any game as a game of skill1. Match fixing and spot fixing carry a minimum of three years' imprisonment, extendable to five years, and a minimum fine of INR 5 lakh, with repeat offenders facing up to seven years1. Liability extends beyond players to anyone involved in organizing a game or match, including officials, managers, physio-instructors, coaches, referees, umpires and ground staff1.
Haryana is the latest state to join Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in regulating gambling and online betting, according to the article1. It reports that many companies have either suspended operations or issued user advisories as a precautionary measure1. SportsBaazi, which runs a sports prediction platform, told users in Haryana to proceed with caution and refrain from sports engagement formats such as Fantasy and its variants until further notice1.
The article states that the Act's vague language and lack of explicit exemptions for skill-based games, which the Supreme Court of India has upheld as legal, put legitimate operations of such platforms in a state of uncertainty1. It adds that the discretionary power under Section 2(1)(g) compounds that uncertainty1.
What it means for players
For people in Haryana, the practical effect reported so far is that MPL's Opinio and Fantasy formats are unavailable to users located in the state1. SportsBaazi has advised users in Haryana to refrain from sports engagement formats such as Fantasy and its variants until further notice1. The Act applies to online platforms accessible within Haryana even without a physical or corporate presence in the state, so the location of the user, not the operator, is what the reported measures turn on1. The article notes that the state government has not yet clarified which games of skill will be exempted, leaving the position of other real money formats in Haryana unresolved1. No further operator suspensions or user advisories in Haryana have been reported beyond those named1.
What happens next
The article says it is expected that the Haryana government will introduce clarifications on the exempted games of skill, so that at least judicially recognized games of skill can operate in the state with certainty1. No date has been given for that clarification1. The article notes that the lack of clarity on how and when skill-based games will be approved by the state government is something everyone will be watching1.
For background on how states across Asia treat real money gaming, see Online Casinos, Poker Rooms and Sportsbooks That Accept Players in Asia and Can I Gamble in India?.
