The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and fantasy sports platform Dream11 are set to end their sponsorship agreements following the passage of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which enforces a blanket ban on fantasy and real-money gaming platforms.
The bill, cleared by both houses of Parliament on Thursday, has effectively made it illegal for any entity to promote or engage in online money gaming. Confirming the development, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the cricket board will no longer partner with companies linked to such services.
"Looking at the current situation and keeping in mind that the bill has become an Act, it would be really difficult for BCCI to continue with Dream11. So, the association with Dream11 is over, and BCCI will look for a future course of action, including a new sponsor," Saikia told the reporters.
Dream11 and My11Circle together contribute an estimated Rs 1,000 crore to the BCCI through title sponsorships of the Indian cricket team and the Indian Premier League. Dream11 had signed a contract worth USD 44 million (Rs 358 crore) for the 2023-2026 cycle as Team India’s title sponsor.
The new law, however, explicitly prohibits such partnerships. The Act states that "no person shall offer any aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services, nor shall be involved in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game." This has come as a major financial blow to fantasy sports firms operating in India.
In addition to sponsoring Team India, Dream11 also serves as the official fantasy partner of the Indian Super League (ISL).
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Dream11 will not face financial penalties as the existing contract with the BCCI contains a clause protecting the sponsor in the event of a government ban on its primary business. This means the company will not be required to make any further payments for the remainder of the contract.
Following the passage of the bill in the Upper House of Parliament, Dream11 issued a 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 legislation would have been the way forward, we will respect the law and fully comply with the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025."
Industry experts believe endorsements of fantasy sports apps by individual cricketers will also see a sharp decline in the wake of the ban.
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