TLDR
- India’s Competition Commission has closed its antitrust case against Google
- The case began after WinZO Games filed a complaint in 2022
- A new law banned all online money games in India starting May 2026
- Google had already stopped real-money gaming ads in January
- The regulator can reopen the case if the law is ever repealed
India’s Competition Commission of India, known as the CCI, has closed its antitrust investigation into Google. The regulator said the case no longer served a purpose after a new law changed the country’s online gaming market.
The case began in 2022 when WinZO Games filed a complaint. WinZO is an Indian platform that lets users play games for real money.
WinZO claimed Google ran a pilot program on the Play Store that only allowed daily fantasy sports and rummy apps. The company said this excluded other real-money gaming products from the platform.
How the Case Developed
The CCI ordered a full investigation in November 2024. At the time, the regulator said it had found early evidence that Google may have broken competition rules.
During the probe, Google offered a possible fix. The company proposed allowing certified skill-based real-money games and related ads on the Play Store.
This offer showed Google was open to changing its policies. But the broader legal picture in India was about to shift in a much bigger way.
New Law Changes the Market
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 took effect on May 1, 2026. The law bans all online games that offer real money prizes.
This ban applies whether a game is based on skill or chance. It also makes it illegal to advertise these games or process payments for them.
Google had already stopped accepting ads for real-money games in January. The company had also ended its pilot program for these apps before the law took effect.
By the time the CCI reached its decision, the practices WinZO had complained about were no longer happening. The market conditions that led to the original complaint simply did not exist anymore.
WinZO asked to withdraw its complaint at a hearing on August 25. The company said the legal changes made its original case no longer relevant.
The CCI made clear it did not have to close the case just because WinZO asked. The regulator said it looked at the situation on its own and decided further action would not help anyone.
Officials also said they could look at Google’s conduct again in the future. This would only happen if the gaming law is paused, struck down, or repealed and the old practices return.
The CCI’s ruling shows how a single new law reshaped an entire industry in India. A case that took years to investigate ended once legislation changed the underlying market.
Google has not issued a separate public statement on the closure. The company’s earlier steps, ending ads and pausing its pilot program, appear to have aligned with the direction lawmakers ultimately took.
For now, the real-money gaming business in India remains shut down under the new law. Companies like WinZO and platforms such as Google’s Play Store must operate within these updated rules going forward.
