UPI gaming transactions fell 26% in August 2025 to ₹7,441 crore, as NPCI data showed the immediate impact of new restrictions under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act.

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Published Sep 09, 2025 | 9:27 AM GMT-04

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While overall UPI volumes reached record highs in August 2025, the digital gaming segment saw a notable contraction, following the ban on real-money gaming transactions during the later half of the month.

According to NPCI data, UPI processed 270.7 million gaming-related transactions worth ₹7,441 crore in August, down from 351.2 million transactions worth ₹10,077 crore in July — a 26% decline in both volume and value in a single month.

A broader trend over 2025 shows fluctuating UPI gaming volumes and values, with the August drop marking a significant low point:

Period	Volume (Mn)	Value (₹ Cr)
Aug ‘25	270.70	7,441.14
July	351.24	10,076.56
June	332.94	9,749.96
May	420.82	10,634.88
April	505.37	10,530.66
March	425.95	11,202.93
February	329.18	9,819.53
January	321.59	10,138.84

The downward trend in August corresponds with the enactment of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, passed by Parliament on 21st August and becoming law on 22nd August, 2025. The legislation restricts real-money online gaming, which would have impacted gaming-related UPI transactions.

Also Read: PhonePe, GPay hit record UPI volumes in Aug, but smaller apps eat into market share

Before August, gaming-related UPI transactions had been volatile but generally growing, reaching a peak of 505.4 million transactions in April in volume terms, and a high of ₹11,203 crore in value terms in March.

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The decline contrasts sharply with the overall UPI ecosystem, which crossed 20 billion monthly transactions and continued to see growth in retail, merchant, and financial service payments.

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