Hike’s Gaming Platform Rush Fails Under New Rules, Company Closes After 13 Years

A big impact on tech startup Hike by the ban on real money gaming in India. The founder of the company and Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal's son, Kevin Bharti Mittal, has announced the closure of this 13-year-old startup. He said that this difficult decision had to be taken after discussions with investors and the team.

Hike was launched in 2012 and was once considered the biggest rival of WhatsApp. At its peak, the app had more than 4 crore monthly users. But over time, user preferences changed, and it had to be shut down in 2021. After this, the company launched a real money gaming platform called Rush, in which 14 games were available and users could win cash. Web3 technology and play-to-earn features were also included in it.

In 2023, the Government of India imposed strict regulations on real money gaming. This badly affected Hike's business model. Mittal said that by starting in India, we got tied to this business model, and it was no longer possible to scale globally.