NEW DELHI, Aug. 20 -- Three major online gaming industry bodies have written to the government, urging it to withdraw its proposed blanket ban on fantasy sports, online rummy, poker, and other real-money games. They warned the move would wipe out a legitimate sector that employs thousands and has attracted billions in investment.

The letter, addressed to Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and written by Gameskraft-backed All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), Dream11-backed Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), and Games24x7-backed E-Gaming Federation (EGF), claimed that "a blanket prohibition would strike a death knell for the legitimate, job-creating industry, and would cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens."

Mint has see...