A23 Rummy TDS Withdrawal Guide 2026: How to Withdraw Your Legacy Balance After the PROGA Shutdown
How A23 Withdrawal Worked Before the PROGA Shutdown
Before August 2025, A23 maintained a standard withdrawal process consistent with other Indian real-money gaming platforms. Users were required to complete full KYC verification — linking their PAN card and a verified Indian bank account to their A23 profile — before any withdrawal could be initiated. The minimum withdrawal amount was typically ₹100 or ₹200 depending on the withdrawal method, with deposits starting at approximately ₹50. Bank transfers were the primary withdrawal method, with processing timelines generally ranging from 1 to 3 business days depending on the user's bank. A23 supported UPI withdrawals for users with verified UPI-linked bank accounts, which were typically faster. Under Indian tax law, TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) at 30% was deducted at source on net winnings above the taxable threshold — this was applied automatically at the platform level before the net amount was credited to the user's account or withdrawal request. The exact mechanics (at what winning threshold TDS was triggered) followed prevailing Indian income tax provisions for online gaming winnings. Critically, the platform did not hold funds indefinitely: users were expected to maintain active accounts and withdraw balances periodically.
What Changed After PROGA: The August 2025 Shutdown
Following presidential assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 on August 22, 2025, A23 immediately discontinued all real-money gaming services — including deposits, entries, and prize distributions for paid contests. The platform's website (a23.com) now displays a message directing users to withdraw their winnings and providing the support email address info@a23.com for queries. The company's reduced workforce (approximately 200 employees from a pre-ban peak of around 700) is handling legacy balance settlements on a best-effort basis. This means the withdrawal process that operated smoothly before August 2025 — with automated TDS deduction, standard bank processing timelines, and UPI fast-track options — no longer applies in its standard form. Users seeking to recover pre-ban account balances must now go through a manual settlement process rather than the standard in-app withdrawal flow.
How to Initiate a Legacy Balance Withdrawal from A23 in 2026
For users with funds remaining in their A23 account from before the August 2025 shutdown, the official channel is to contact A23 directly at info@a23.com. Your email should include your registered mobile number (the primary account identifier on A23), your A23 user ID if known, and a clear description of your withdrawal request. Given that A23's team is operating with approximately 200 staff — down from around 700 before the layoffs — response times may be significantly slower than pre-ban norms. Users should document all communications with A23 support, including dates, names of representatives if given, and reference numbers for any ticket or request. If you submitted a withdrawal request through the app before the shutdown that was not processed, document this with screenshots and include those details in your communication with A23. It is worth noting that A23 has publicly committed to processing user withdrawals — the company included this commitment in its public communications at the time of the shutdown — but the speed and completeness of that processing depends on the company's operational capacity under its reduced workforce.
TDS on A23 Withdrawals: What Applies to Legacy Balances
The TDS rules that governed A23 withdrawals before the ban — specifically the 30% TDS applied to net winnings above the taxable threshold under Indian income tax law — are unlikely to be the primary concern for users seeking to recover legacy account balances in 2026. TDS deductions would have been applied at the time winnings were credited to user accounts during active gameplay, not at the time of a balance withdrawal request. For users whose account balances represent deposits rather than net winnings (i.e., they deposited funds but did not successfully withdraw or convert those deposits to winnings), the tax treatment differs — such balances are generally treated as the user's own funds rather than winnings subject to TDS. Users with complex balance histories combining deposits, winnings, and withdrawals may want to consult a tax professional to understand their specific position, particularly if they have significant legacy balances. The important practical point for 2026 is this: do not expect the standard automated A23 withdrawal flow to function. Contact info@a23.com directly, be patient given reduced staffing, and be wary of third-party services that claim to expedite A23 withdrawals — these are common scam vectors targeting users of banned gaming platforms.