What Is A23?
A23, formerly known as Ace2Three, is India's oldest and most established online rummy and poker platform. Founded in 2006 by entrepreneur Deepak Gullapalli in Hyderabad, the company began as a pioneering effort to digitize the traditional 13-card Indian rummy game, which had previously been played almost exclusively in physical social settings. Operating under the corporate entity Head Digital Works (formerly Head Infotech), A23 grew from a modest two-computer startup into a platform serving over 70 million registered players across rummy and poker variants. The company raised approximately $91 million in funding over 18 years and was majority-owned by Canadian private equity firm Clairvest Group. A23 underwent a significant brand evolution around 2018–2019, repositioning from Ace2Three to 'A23' with a premium 'Rummy. Well Played.' campaign targeting serious, skilled rummy players. In early 2025, Head Digital Works expanded aggressively by acquiring Deltatech Gaming — the real-money gaming arm of Delta Corp, which runs Adda52, one of India's oldest online poker platforms — for ₹491 crore. That expansion was upended within months by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025.
Is A23 Legal and Safe in India?
A23's legal status is the most complex and consequential question surrounding the platform right now. Before August 2025, A23 operated in a legal gray zone that was, practically speaking, tolerated: India has no central gaming license framework for skill games, and rummy has been upheld by Indian courts as a game of skill rather than chance. A23 was an active member of the E-Gaming Federation, an industry self-regulatory body, and maintained KYC requirements (PAN and bank account verification) for all withdrawing users. The company disclosed paying approximately ₹95 crore in service tax and ₹1,643 crore in GST over its operating history, reflecting financial transparency and regulatory engagement. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which received presidential assent on August 22, 2025, and came into force on May 1, 2026, imposed a blanket ban on all real-money online gaming — including games of skill like rummy and poker. A23's parent immediately halted real-money games and filed a constitutional challenge in the Karnataka High Court, arguing that the law violates fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution. That petition was transferred to the Supreme Court of India (T.C.(C) No. 133/2025) in September 2025. The case remains pending as of mid-2026, with the next scheduled hearing on August 5, 2026, before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant. Until the Supreme Court rules, A23's real-money gaming future is genuinely uncertain.
How A23 Works
A23 offered multiple variants of 13-card Indian rummy — the most popular format in Indian online gaming — as well as poker variants including No Limit Texas Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Pot-Limit Omaha 5-card. The core rummy experience involved players competing against each other at virtual tables, arranging 13 cards into valid sequences and sets, with the objective of being the first to declare a winning hand. A23 offered points rummy (fast-paced, per-point stakes), pool rummy (cumulative points over multiple rounds, with elimination after a points threshold), and deals rummy (a fixed number of deals with chip stacks). Poker tables operated similarly, with standard poker hand rankings determining winners. The platform was accessible via the A23.com website, the Android app on the Google Play Store, and the iOS app on the Apple App Store. All real-money tables — from low-stakes free practice games to high-stakes tournaments — have been suspended since August 2025. The current free-to-play version maintains the same game variants and interface but without financial stakes.
A23 Deposits and Withdrawals: What Users Need to Know in 2026
A23's financial mechanics have been fundamentally altered by PROGA. Prior to August 2025, A23 supported deposits via multiple methods with a minimum deposit of approximately ₹50, and withdrawals via bank transfer following mandatory KYC (PAN and bank account verification). TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) at 30% was deducted at source on net winnings above the taxable threshold per Indian tax law, consistent with other real-money gaming platforms. The exact minimum withdrawal amount and processing timelines varied by user KYC tier and bank. Users with pre-ban account balances who have not yet withdrawn their funds should contact A23 directly at info@a23.com, referencing their registered mobile number and account details. Given the company's reduced workforce following the layoff of approximately 500 employees, users may experience delays. A23's official website currently carries a message urging users to withdraw their winnings and directing support queries to info@a23.com. No new deposits or real-money withdrawals are being accepted — all financial activity is limited to legacy balance settlement.
The Supreme Court Challenge: A23's Unique Legal Battle Against PROGA
A23 occupies a genuinely unique position in the post-PROGA Indian gaming landscape. While virtually every other major real-money gaming platform complied with the August 2025 ban by shutting down paid games and pivoting to free-to-play models, Head Digital Works chose a different path: it filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court within days of presidential assent, challenging the Act as unconstitutional. The petition specifically targeted Sections 2(1)(g), 5, 6, 7, and 9 of PROGA, arguing that these provisions improperly criminalize games of skill, violate the right to equality (Article 14), the right to practice any profession (Article 19), and the right to life and personal liberty (Article 21). Senior advocates C. Aryama Sundaram and Arvind Datar — two of India's most prominent constitutional lawyers — appeared for the petitioners. The Union government, represented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, defended the law, arguing that Parliament has legislative competence to regulate online gaming and that the Act targets the harmful societal impact of online betting regardless of whether the underlying game is one of skill or chance. In September 2025, the Supreme Court transferred all PROGA challenges to itself, consolidating them for uniform adjudication (T.C.(C) No. 133/2025). In a related but separate ruling in July 2026, the Supreme Court upheld states' power to ban online games with stakes regardless of skill-versus-chance classification — a ruling that complicates the industry's position but does not directly resolve the central PROGA challenge, which remains pending.
What A23's Legal Fight Means for Users
For the 70 million people who registered on A23 over nearly 20 years, the Supreme Court case is more than an abstract legal matter — it could determine whether they ever use the platform for real-money gaming again. A favorable ruling for Head Digital Works — declaring PROGA's provisions unconstitutional as applied to games of skill — could restore A23's real-money gaming operations and set a precedent protecting the entire Indian skill-gaming industry. An adverse ruling would likely cement the ban permanently, closing the legal pathway for any real-money rummy or poker platform to operate in India under the current legislative framework. For users with legacy account balances from before August 2025, the litigation creates uncertainty about full settlement — A23 is processing withdrawals on a best-effort basis with a reduced team of approximately 200 employees, and there is no guarantee of how long this process will continue. Users should prioritize initiating legacy balance withdrawal requests through official A23 channels and avoid third-party intermediaries claiming to expedite the process, who are frequently scams. For prospective users interested in A23 purely for free games, the platform remains accessible and functional.
Who Is A23 For?
A23 was built for Indian adults (18+) who enjoy competitive card games — specifically rummy and poker — and want a high-quality, well-established platform to play on. The platform attracted everyone from first-time rummy players using free practice tables to serious tournament players who competed for significant stakes and valued the depth of competition that 70 million registered users provided. A23's premium brand positioning — emphasized through its 'Rummy. Well Played.' campaign — specifically appealed to players who treated rummy as a skill to be honed rather than a casual time-filler. Following PROGA's enforcement and A23's pivot to free games, the platform's identity has shifted: it now primarily serves free-to-play rummy and poker enthusiasts. The platform is not currently available for real-money gaming in any Indian state. Users who are interested in A23 primarily for real-money play should monitor the Supreme Court case T.C.(C) No. 133/2025 for developments and consult their own state's current legal position before taking any action.