Dream11 Set to Exit BCCI Sponsorship Deal After Real Money Gaming Ban in New Government Bill

Fantasy sports platform Dream11 is set to withdraw as the lead sponsor of India’s national cricket teams following the enactment of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025, which effectively bans all real money gaming services in India.

The bill, recently passed by both houses of Parliament, prohibits any form of online gaming involving real money. In response, Dream11 has shut down its real money games and has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it will no longer be able to fulfill its sponsorship obligations due to an anticipated sharp decline in revenue.

Dream11’s current sponsorship deal with the BCCI, signed in 2023 and running through 2026, is valued at USD 44 million (approximately INR 358 crore). Together with rival platform My11Circle, the two fantasy sports giants contribute an estimated INR 1000 crore to Indian cricket through sponsorship deals associated with the national teams and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The new legislation clearly prohibits the offering or promotion of any online game involving real money. It states:

“No person shall offer aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services nor shall involve in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game.”

While the bill allows social gaming and subscription-based platforms, the ban on real money operations effectively cripples the business model of most major fantasy sports providers.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia declined to comment on the situation, but sources suggest that Dream11 is unlikely to face penalties for terminating the contract, as there is a clause allowing a waiver in case of regulatory changes instituted by the government.

Dream11 responded to the bill in a public statement, saying:

“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 the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025’.”

An insider from the fantasy gaming industry commented, “The writing was always on the wall once the real money gaming was banned. That alone accounts for at least 90% of the revenue for all major fantasy platforms.”

Attention now turns to My11Circle, which currently pays INR 125 crore annually to the BCCI as the official fantasy partner of the IPL. The company is expected to face similar financial pressure and may follow Dream11’s lead in ending its cricket sponsorships.

The ripple effects are likely to extend beyond just team sponsorships. Individual cricketer endorsements with fantasy apps may also face a significant downturn in the wake of this legislation.