Fantasy-sports firm Dream11 has told the BCCI it is unlikely to continue as lead sponsor of India’s men’s and women’s teams, following the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025.
The new law prohibits “online money gaming services” and any advertising that “directly or indirectly promotes” them. Dream11, whose three-year agreement with the board is worth roughly US$44 million (about INR 358 crore), relied heavily on real-money contests to fund that outlay.
Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, declined to comment on the next steps. Board officials, though, acknowledge that the contract contains a force-majeure style clause covering adverse government regulation, so Dream11 is unlikely to face a heavy penalty for walking away.
Dream11 announced last week it had shut down all cash-entry games. In a short note the company said, “We have always been a law-abiding company and have always conducted our business in compliance with the law. While we believe that progressive law would have been the way forward, we will respect the law and fully comply with ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025’.”
Between them, Dream11 and rival My11Circle are thought to pump close to INR 1,000 crore into Indian cricket through team and IPL partnerships. Both deals will now be reviewed. A senior industry executive, speaking to PTI, put the financial hit in blunt terms: “The writing was always on the cards once the real money gaming was banned in the bill. That itself accounts for at least 90% of the revenue of all major players in the fantasy market. The next interesting phase will be what My11Circle, which pays Rs 125 crore annually to BCCI for being official fantasy partner of IPL, do?”
He added that individual player endorsements with fantasy apps “will also be severely hit”, a view shared by several agents contacted on Tuesday.
The government has carved out exemptions for free-to-play contests and subscription-based models, but those formats generate only a fraction of fantasy gaming turnover. Analysts expect companies to pivot towards social gaming or overseas markets, although the speed and viability of such moves remain unclear.
For the BCCI the immediate concern is finding a new front-of-shirt sponsor before the next home series. Marketing executives point out that the Indian team’s global visibility still makes the space attractive, yet the board may have to temper its asking price in a tightening sponsorship market.
Cricket fans are unlikely to notice any change on the field, but a reshuffle of logos and commercials is coming – another reminder of how swiftly legislation can reshape the sport’s financial landscape.
