Gaming Report: Nazara Goes All-In on Sportskeeda, Govt Drops the Hammer on Illegal Betting Sites Before IPL & WinZO’s Tagline War Gets Court Time

It’s been an eventful few weeks in India’s gaming and sports media space! We’ve seen a major buyout wrap up, a big government crackdown timed with the IPL buzz, and a high-profile legal battle over a tagline continue. Here’s the lowdown on these stories:

First up, Nazara Technologies put the final piece in place for its complete takeover of Absolute Sports (the folks behind Sportskeeda). They snapped up the remaining 8.97% for ₹69.17 Crores, meaning Sportskeeda is now 100% theirs. This seriously bulks up Nazara’s content muscle, adding to their lineup that already includes heavy hitters in esports (NODWIN) and real-money gaming (PokerBaazi, Classic Rummy), pushing their vision to become an all-in-one entertainment powerhouse.

Meanwhile, the government’s GST intelligence wing (DGGI) launched a massive sweep against illegal offshore gaming sites right as IPL 2025 fever kicked in. They blocked 357 platforms and froze nearly 2,400 bank accounts, seizing over ₹126 Crores in funds. It’s a clear warning shot to unregulated operators trying to dodge taxes.

In the courtroom drama department, the WinZO vs. Creativeland ad agency fight took another turn. The Delhi High Court agreed with an arbitrator: WinZO has to put up ₹50 Lakhs as a bank guarantee because of a disputed “Jeeto Har DinZo” tagline Creativeland claims was shared under an NDA and misused. Intriguingly, WinZO doesn’t have to stop using the tagline for now as the larger scrap over creative rights is still very much ongoing with the court siding with the arbitrator that a monetary award in the end would be compensation enough as opposed or an injunction at this stage.

Nazara Technologies Seals the Deal: Takes Full Control of Sportskeeda Parent, Absolute Sports

In a move highlighting its growing influence in India’s gaming and sports media landscape, Nazara Technologies has bought the final 8.97% of Absolute Sports Private Limited, the company behind the popular platform Sportskeeda. This deal makes Absolute Sports a wholly owned part of Nazara, cementing the publicly listed gaming giant’s foothold in the fast-moving world of sports content and entertainment.

The Path to 100% Ownership: A Deliberate Strategy

Nazara didn’t just grab Sportskeeda overnight; getting full ownership was a calculated journey stretching over several years:

• 2022: Nazara made its first move, acquiring a 6.05% stake in Absolute Sports in a deal worth ₹19.99 Crores.
• December 2024: The company significantly increased its holding, buying another 10.26% for ₹72.73 Crores.
• March 2025: Nazara announced through an exchange filing that it had purchased the remaining 8.97% — 18,330 equity shares — for ₹69.17 Crores.

With this final purchase, Nazara now holds the keys to the entire Absolute Sports kingdom, making Sportskeeda a central pillar in its expanding media and entertainment empire.

Sportskeeda’s Journey: Building a Media Powerhouse

Launched back in 2010, Absolute Sports made its name with Sportskeeda, growing it into one of India’s go-to platforms for sports fans. Initially focused on news, live scores, and schedules, Sportskeeda has smartly branched out in recent years:

• 2023: Sportskeeda acquired Deltia’s Gaming—an American sports and gaming IP—for $900,000, paid entirely in cash.
• 2024: It then bought a controlling 73.27% stake in Pro Football Network (PFN), a US-based outlet focused on the NFL, in a $1.82 Million deal. This move significantly boosted its presence in the lucrative North American sports market.

By expanding beyond traditional sports into areas like the NFL, Sportskeeda now appeals to a broader global audience and has become a key player in India’s sports media scene.

Nazara’s Growing Constellation: More Than Just Games

Bringing Sportskeeda fully into the fold is just one part of Nazara Technologies’ bigger ambition: creating a ‘one-stop destination’ for gaming, esports, and sports content. The company has been busy making strategic investments and acquisitions across the board:

• NODWIN Gaming: Nazara’s major esports arm, running big tournaments across Asia and Africa.
• Datawrkz: An advertising tech platform helping Nazara make more money and keep users engaged across its various properties.
• Nextwave Multimedia: The creators of the popular World Cricket Championship games, where Nazara increased its ownership to 74.88%.
• Funky Monkeys: A chain of indoor kids’ play centres showing Nazara’s interest in physical entertainment spaces.
• Learntube.ai: An investment in educational technology reflecting interest in AI-driven learning.
• Moonshine Technologies (PokerBaazi): In a major move into skill-based real-money gaming (RMG), Nazara acquired a 47.70% stake in Moonshine Technology, PokerBaazi’s parent company, for ₹832 Crores in September 2024 (with an additional ₹150 Crores in primary capital). Moonshine has impressively weathered regulatory storms—like the 28% GST on deposits—demonstrating its strength and brand recall.
• OpenPlay Transfer: Just weeks ago, Nazara transferred its 94.85% stake in OpenPlay (operator of Classic Rummy) to Moonshine, further consolidating its RMG presence. This deal, valued at ₹104.33 Crores and structured via preference shares, brings PokerBaazi (online poker leader) and Classic Rummy together under Moonshine. The goal is to create powerful synergies between the platforms and build Moonshine into a single, dominant RMG entity.

From online poker to kids’ entertainment and edtech, Nazara is carefully weaving together a diverse ecosystem designed to generate revenue from multiple streams and adapt quickly to market shifts.

Why Sportskeeda is Such a Vital Piece

For Nazara, owning Sportskeeda outright adds critical advantages:

• Massive Audience: Sportskeeda attracts millions of monthly readers, significantly boosting Nazara’s overall reach and creating natural connections with its esports and gaming ventures.
• Global Reach: Sportskeeda’s foothold in the US through acquisitions like Pro Football Network helps accelerate Nazara’s international growth plans.
• Integrated Content Possibilities: Nazara can now seamlessly blend Sportskeeda’s content across its platforms—think fantasy gaming tie-ins, interactive quizzes alongside live scores, and much more to enrich the fan experience.

Having 100% ownership streamlines decision-making, ensuring Sportskeeda’s future direction aligns perfectly with Nazara’s grander vision.

The Big Picture: A Statement of Intent

Nazara Technologies’ complete acquisition of Sportskeeda clearly signals its ambition. By locking down one of India’s most influential sports media platforms, Nazara is reinforcing its standing as a 360-degree entertainment powerhouse that spans esports, casual and skill-based gaming, ad tech, and global sports coverage.

In a dynamic market like India—and with eyes set on international expansion—controlling the conversation around sports and gaming is incredibly valuable. Nazara has just made a confident stride in that direction, showing not just its financial muscle but also its strong conviction in the potential of Sportskeeda, PokerBaazi, Classic Rummy, and the wider sports media ecosystem. As Nazara continues to knit together content, community, and commerce, anyone interested in the future of entertainment and gaming in India has good reason to keep a very close eye on their next move.

DGGI Drops the Hammer: 357 Illegal Gaming & Betting Sites Axed, 2,400 Bank Accounts Frozen in Pre-IPL Sweep

In a major operation signalling the government’s firm stance against tax evasion and its commitment to protecting Indian consumers, the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGI) has brought the hammer down. They’ve blocked 357 illegal offshore online gaming websites – many heavily focused on offering unauthorized betting activities for the massively popular Indian Premier League (IPL) matches – and frozen roughly 2,400 associated bank accounts. This crackdown, timed just before the IPL 2025 season got underway, mirrors a familiar pattern seen in previous years, highlighting the perennial challenge authorities face in curbing illegal betting surges tied to this cricket leader. The message is unmistakable: the screws are tightening on unregulated platforms operating outside the law.

A Fast-Growing Problem, Especially Around Cricket

Online gaming has seen explosive growth in India, but a significant shadow network of offshore sites thrives alongside legitimate platforms. These operators dodge India’s tax system, particularly the required 28% GST while exposing Indian players to potential scams. The lure of sports betting on high-profile events like the IPL matches fuels much of this illicit activity.

The DGGI’s deep dive revealed that over 700 offshore e-gaming firms are being examined. These entities frequently skip GST registration, hide their earnings, and use complex methods to fly under the financial radar. This latest enforcement wave shows authorities are intensifying efforts against these illegal operations.

DGGI’s Strike: Disrupting Operations, Freezing Funds

In one of its biggest enforcement pushes yet, the DGGI has taken several key steps recently:

• Blocked 357 Websites/URLs: These sites were identified as illegal offshore platforms flouting GST registration and payment rules, with many offering illegal betting on sports like cricket.
• Attached Around 2,400 Bank Accounts: Freezing these accounts disrupts the money flow that keeps these questionable operations running and hidden.
• Uncovered 166 ‘Mule’ Bank Accounts: Investigators found offshore companies funnelling money through accounts of unsuspecting individuals or compromised accounts (known as ‘mule accounts’) to handle player deposits and payouts. This complex setup not only evades taxes but also creates pathways for potential money laundering and other illegal financial activities.
• Arrested Key Operators: At least three Indian nationals running offshore gaming platforms like Satguru Online Money Gaming Platform, Mahakaal Online Money Gaming Platform, and Abhi247 Online Money Gaming Platform were arrested, showing the crackdown has real teeth.
• Seized Over ₹126 Crore: In two significant cases, authorities froze nearly ₹126 Crores held in various bank accounts tied to illegal online gaming. There’s a strong sense that this might only be scratching the surface.
• Celebrities Are Under Scanner: Adding complexity, numerous Bollywood figures, cricketers, and social media influencers have been found endorsing these offshore platforms, sometimes lending false legitimacy to sites heavily involved in illegal betting. The Finance Ministry has cautioned the public, emphasizing that such endorsements are no guarantee of a platform’s legality.
  

Why This Crackdown is Crucial (Especially Before IPL)

• Protecting Consumers & National Security: These unregulated offshore sites leave Indian users vulnerable to fraud. Critically, the DGGI warned that funds siphoned off could potentially fund criminal or terror activities, a grave national security threat amplified by the large sums involved in illegal betting.
• Ensuring Fair Competition: Illicit foreign operators who evade taxes gain an unfair edge over legitimate domestic businesses. This crackdown aims to level the playing field.
• Upholding GST Law: Indian law mandates 28% GST on deposits for all real-money gaming operators. Dodging this responsibility weakens the national tax base.
• Maintaining Integrity of IPL Cricket, especially the IPL, remains the biggest magnet for betting in India, both legal and illegal. Authorities routinely step up vigilance and enforcement against illegal betting platforms as the IPL season approaches each year, tackling this persistent issue head-on. The Finance Ministry explicitly stated that actions against rogue operators would intensify during the current IPL season.

The DGGI’s decisive action against 357 illegal offshore gaming and betting websites, the freezing of thousands of bank accounts, and the arrests represent a significant, albeit recurring, offensive in India’s battle against unregulated online gambling, particularly targeting the surge around the IPL. With the enforcement tightening every year, the ministry has also cautioned the public to stay clear of such sites and not to be influenced by celebrities orinfluencers.

As India’s digital economy expands, the government’s strong commitment sends a clear message: operators flouting the rules, especially those exploiting the IPL frenzy for illegal betting, will face consequences.

WinZO vs. Creativeland: Court Says ₹50 Lakh Guarantee Stays, But Tagline Use Goes On (For Now)

An important chapter recently unfolded in the ongoing legal tussle between gaming platform WinZO and ad agency Creativeland. The Delhi High Court has weighed in, backing an arbitrator’s call that WinZO needs to put up a ₹50 Lakhs bank guarantee over a disputed tagline. But, in a twist that keeps the tension high, WinZO doesn’t have to stop using the slogan right away.

This whole fight centres on the catchy phrase “Jeeto Har DinZo,” and it’s raising some big questions about who owns creative ideas, the scope of protection offered under NDAs, and how disputes get sorted out when big money and brand identity are on the line.

So, Here’s the Backstory…

It all kicked off back in October 2024. WinZO Games hired Creativeland Advertising to brainstorm a new brand campaign. Like professionals do, they signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on November 8 to protect the creative ideas and business secrets they’d be sharing.

Creativeland got to work, presenting multiple concepts. One of these included that now-famous tagline: “Jeeto Har DinZo.” Apparently, WinZO seemed pretty interested at first, even hinting it could be perfect for a big splash, maybe tied to their marketing campaigns around the IPL 2025 season.

Then, Things Got Complicated

Fast forward to February 2025. WinZO suddenly hit the brakes on talks with Creativeland and decided to work with a different agency. They offered Creativeland ₹10 Lakhs, suggesting it was compensation for any ideas that might have generally informed their strategy.

Creativeland felt the offer seriously undervalued their intellectual property and the understanding built under the NDA. They rejected the money and pushed the issue into arbitration.

What’s the Actual Fight About?

At its heart, this dispute boils down to a few key points:

• Idea Ownership: Creativeland says “Jeeto Har DinZo” was their baby, which they shared in confidence. WinZO argues there was no final contract assigning ownership to Creativeland, and the NDA didn’t forbid them from developing similar concepts independently.
• NDA Power Play: Creativeland contends that WinZO, using the tagline, violates the confidentiality promised in the NDA. WinZO points to clauses they believe allowed for independent development as long as it wasn’t a direct lift.

• Stop vs. Pay: Creativeland wanted the court to immediately block WinZO from using the slogan (an injunction). The arbitrator, and now the High Court, decided that if Creativeland eventually proves they were wronged, monetary damages could be enough compensation.

The Arbitrator Decides

Facing pressure, especially with potential marketing campaigns from WinZO soon to go online, a Sole Arbitrator stepped in. The findings were pretty straightforward:

• There was an NDA but no finalized contract giving Creativeland exclusive rights to the tagline. Early talks don’t automatically lock things down.
• Since ownership wasn’t crystal clear yet, stopping WinZO immediately wasn’t justified. Money could be a sufficient remedy later.
• However, because Creativeland does have an actual claim, the arbitrator ordered WinZO to furnish a ₹50 Lakh bank guarantee as a safety net.

High Court Agrees (Mostly)

Creativeland challenged this decision in the Delhi High Court under Section 37(2)(b) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, arguing again that the tagline was confidential and that ongoing use would cause irreversible harm.

However, on March 18, 2025, the High Court essentially said the arbitrator made a reasonable call based on the facts and the contract language. They agreed that the NDA allowed for independent work (if not identical) and that monetary damages seemed to be a possible solution in the future. So, the demand for injunctive relief was not deemed essential. The court also reminded everyone that Creativeland can still fight WinZO’s trademark application for “Jeeto Har DinZo” before the trademark authorities.

What Happens Now? (It’s Not Over!)

As of today, April 4, 2025, that ₹50 Lakh bank guarantee requirement stands. WinZO is also appealing the arbitrator’s findings, with a hearing scheduled for April 14, so expect more legal moves, especially a potential trademark battle.

This case is being watched closely by advertising, gaming, and tech folks across India. It could influence how companies handle creative pitches, NDAs, and disputes over who owns the next big idea.