Indian gaming platform WinZO is launching in the U.S. and unveiled a new short-form video service, ZO TV. The strategic pivot is a direct response to a new law in India that effectively outlawed the company's core real-money gaming business, forcing it to find new revenue streams abroad.
- A regulatory reckoning: The company’s move comes after India passed its Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, which upended the country's online gaming industry. The ban has triggered an industry-wide scramble to reinvent, with WinZO’s pivot mirroring moves from rivals like Dream11 and MPL, which are also being forced to shift away from real-money formats.
- Seeking stable ground: The expansion brings WinZO into the U.S., the world’s largest gaming market by revenue, giving the company a foothold in a more stable regulatory environment. Its U.S. entry builds on a 2023 expansion into Brazil. With the move, WinZO now operates in three of the world's four largest mobile gaming markets.
- Gateway to the west: WinZO is framing its international push as an “India’s Tech Exports 2.0 story,” using its platform to give Indian game developers a path to reach profitable international audiences. Co-founders Saumya Singh Rathore and Paavan Nanda said entering the U.S. market is a "decisive step" toward their mission of empowering Indian developers globally.
WinZO's pivot isn't just a defensive move; it's a high-stakes test of whether an Indian gaming platform can transform a domestic crisis into a global opportunity. The Indian government has defended its tough stance, with the country's IT Minister likening gaming addiction to drugs and a threat to national security. The ban stands to disrupt an industry that, according to government estimates, was valued at around $25 billion in subscriptions, advertising, and other revenue, and employs over 200,000 people.
