NEW DELHI – The Indian government’s decision to ban real-money online gaming, including fantasy sports, has caused a major shift in sports sponsorship. As a result of the new ban, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ended its partnership with Dream11, which had been the main sponsor on Team India’s jerseys.
Dream11’s three-year deal, valued at ₹358 crore ($44 million) and signed in 2023, was cut short after Parliament approved the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. This move has left the world’s wealthiest cricket board looking for a new partner and raised concerns about cricket’s funding and the direction of the fantasy sports industry.
The new legislation, which came into effect on 22 August 2025 with President Murmu’s approval, bans all online games that involve money, including those based on skill. The government cited worries about gambling addiction, financial harm, and connections to illegal activities.
Well-known platforms such as Dream11, My11Circle, and MPL must now stop offering paid contests. Anyone found breaking the law faces up to three years in jail and fines of ₹1 crore. Promoting these games can lead to two years in prison and a ₹50 lakh fine.
Cricket’s Fan Following
Dream11, once valued at $8 billion and known for its large user base of 200 million, built its success around cricket’s huge fan following. With this law, real-money contests and their advertising are banned, which knocks out the foundation of Dream11’s business. On 23 August, the company stopped all paid leagues and shifted to only free-to-play options to stay within the law.
The sponsorship with India’s men’s and women’s national cricket teams has also come to an end. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made it clear that the board must comply with national laws.
A senior official shared that Dream11 notified CEO Hemang Amin about the end of the deal since the company could no longer generate revenue from fantasy sports. There is a clause in the contract that protects Dream11 from financial penalties in this scenario.
BCCI is now inviting new sponsors, with a deadline of 16 September to submit bids. The board is seeking to fetch ₹35 million for each bilateral match and ₹15 million per match in ICC and ACC tournaments during the 2025-28 cycle.
This could earn BCCI ₹4.52 billion in total, about 20 percent higher than the previous sponsorship with Dream11. However, due to the Asia Cup beginning on 9 September and a key fixture against Pakistan on the 14th, Team India might enter the tournament without a front-of-shirt sponsor, which is highly unusual for the team.
Dream11’s departure adds to a list of sponsorship losses, including education tech firm Byju’s reduction in 2023 and Vivo’s exit in 2020 amid political disputes. Still, BCCI’s strong position and cricket’s massive appeal give analysts confidence that the sponsorship race will still attract serious bidders.
Major Indian companies like Tata or Reliance, along with technology firms, are likely to take an interest. The boost in the asking price shows the board’s belief that it can secure a favourable deal, though going into the Asia Cup without a shirt sponsor could hurt its public image for now.
Dream11’s New Direction and Industry Turmoil
Dream11’s parent, Dream Sports, has chosen not to contest the ban in court. Co-founder Harsh Jain shared the business’s new focus on compliance and future projects, noting that most of their revenue came from real-money games. Dream Sports runs other ventures, such as FanCode, DreamSetGo, and Dream Game Studios, and plans to keep its workforce of 500 people, supported by its revenue of ₹6,384 crore in 2023.
The ban has hit India’s real-money gaming market hard, which was valued at $3.8 billion and expected to grow to $5 billion by 2030. Other firms, including MPL, Gameskraft, and My11Circle, have also stopped paid games, leaving many workers in search of new employment. Industry groups claim that over 200,000 jobs could disappear and more than 400 companies may shut down.
Some believe the ban will drive users to overseas betting platforms accessible by VPN. Those opposed to the new law argue that previous court decisions recognized fantasy sports as skill-based and protected under the Constitution.
Government officials, including IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, have defended the measure as a way to prevent financial problems and mental health issues linked to gambling. The authorities report that 1,524 betting sites have been blocked since 2022 and estimate yearly player losses of ₹20,000 crore.
In Tamil Nadu, between 2019 and 2024, 47 suicides were reported due to online gaming addiction. Supporters of the ban see it as necessary to look after public health and encourage other forms of non-monetary games.
Industry voices, however, argue the law fails to separate skill-based activities, such as fantasy cricket, from pure gambling. Courts in states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab and Haryana have previously drawn this distinction.
Critics point out the risk of driving more players to underground gambling groups on messaging platforms, and warn that the government could lose significant tax revenue, which stood at ₹20,000 crore each year before the ban.
BCCI’s strong financial base is likely to soften the immediate effects of Dream11’s exit. For Dream11 and similar companies, the future may include expanding free-to-play games or exploring international options, even though matching the size and passion of the Indian market will be difficult. Some firms plan to challenge the ban in the Supreme Court, but Dream Sports and Gameskraft are not among them.
India’s crackdown on real-money gaming sets a new course for the entertainment sector, with a focus on public welfare over profits. As fans watch the Asia Cup, the missing Dream11 logo on Team India’s kit reflects a new era for both cricket and the country’s gaming industry.
