A23 parent Head Digital Works shuts content platform Cricket.com, lays off employees

Hyderabad-based Head Digital Works (HDW) has shut down Cricket.com, its cricket-focused digital content platform. The closure has impacted around 16 employees who were involved in the day-to-day operations of the platform. Launched in April 2019, Cricket.com was positioned as a second-screen digital destination for cricket fans, offering a mix of live match updates, data-driven analytics, videos, insights and fantasy sports contests.

The platform was part of HDW’s broader strategy to expand beyond its core card-gaming portfolio into sports content and fantasy-led engagement, leveraging India’s strong cricket viewership. A senior executive from Head Digital Works confirmed the development to Storyboard18 but did not comment on the matter.

At launch, Cricket.com was promoted with significant industry and celebrity presence, including cricketers Rohit Sharma, Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen, Brian Lara and Smriti Mandhana. The company had pitched the platform as a data-first cricket product, using analytics-led tools such as Criclytics to provide deeper insights into player performance and match dynamics.

Over the years, the app crossed millions of downloads, reflecting strong interest among cricket enthusiasts for platforms combining editorial content, live data and fantasy gameplay. Its social media footprint also expanded, with the Cricket.com YouTube channel amassing 122,000 subscribers, alongside nearly 1 million followers on Instagram and 63,800 followers on X (formerly Twitter).

However, the passing of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 — which bans all forms of real-money online gaming and related facilitation services — has fundamentally altered the operating environment for gaming and fantasy sports companies. While Cricket.com positioned itself as a content-led platform, it was closely integrated with fantasy gaming mechanics.

The shutdown of Cricket.com comes amid a much larger restructuring at Head Digital Works. The company recently laid off nearly 500 employees, or close to two-thirds of its workforce, during a company-wide town hall, leaving it with about 200 employees. HDW operates popular real-money gaming brands such as A23 Rummy and A23 Poker, and claims a user base of over 70 million registered players.

In early 2025, HDW had expanded its footprint through the acquisition of Deltatech Gaming, the real-money gaming arm of Delta Corp, for ₹491 crore in a cash-and-stock deal. Deltatech operates Adda52, one of India’s oldest online poker platforms. The regulatory shift has now cast uncertainty over the future of such acquisitions and the broader sector.

The impact has also extended to HDW’s investors. Toronto-based Clairvest Group Inc., the majority shareholder in Head Digital Works, has written off its entire investment in the company. According to Clairvest’s financial statements for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, the firm recorded an unrealised loss of ₹7.6 billion (C$120.9 million), reducing the carrying value of its HDW investment to zero. HDW had been a key portfolio company under Clairvest Equity Partners’ funds, particularly CEP V.

Industry executives say the new legislation has dealt a severe blow to investors who had bet on India’s fast-growing skill-based and fantasy gaming ecosystem, forcing companies to suspend operations, shut platforms and initiate legal challenges against the law.

Founded by Deepak Gullapalli, Head Digital Works began operations in the mid-2000s under the name Head Infotech and was among the pioneers of online rummy in India. Gullapalli, who now serves as chairman, built brands such as Ace2Three, A23 Rummy and A23 Poker, with Siddharth Sharma being appointed as the incoming chief executive.

Head Digital Works have challenged PROGA, 2025 and the matter is being heard in the Apex Court.

The shutdown of Cricket.com underscores how even content-led and hybrid platforms are being swept into the regulatory fallout, marking a significant contraction of India’s once-booming online gaming and fantasy sports sector.