Dream 11 switches off in Karnataka

Dream11, one of India’s most popular gaming apps, has suspended operations in Karnataka after a complaint was registered against its founders claiming it was in violation of a new state gambling law.

Police records on Saturday showed a case has been registered in India's tech capital Bengaluru, in Karnataka, following a complaint by a 42year-old cab driver who reported it as being operational after a ban on online games involving betting came into force.

“In order to allay our users' concerns, we have decided to suspend operations in Karnataka. This decision is without prejudice to our rights and contentions under law," it said in a statement on Sunday.

Dream11, which provides a fantasy gaming platform for various sports, last year became the country’s first gaming startup to be valued at over $1 billion. It has faced legal challenges in the past due to the similarities of fantasy gaming to gambling.