The Online Gaming Bill 2025 forced Dream11 to exit as Team India’s title sponsor, leaving BCCI facing a major financial setback ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, as the law bars online gaming platforms from advertising or promoting online money gaming.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Team India suffered a major setback ahead of the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025, as fantasy gaming platform Dream 11 decided to pull out as the Men in Blue’s title sponsor after the Online Gaming Bill 2025 was enacted by the Indian Government last week.
On August 21, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 was passed in the Rajya Sabha after it was approved by a significant majority in the Lok Sabha, putting a complete ban on online gaming, irrespective of whether it is based on skill or chance. The bill is aimed at reducing addiction, financial losses, and their impact on the youth. With this bill, which has been enacted as law, several online gaming platforms will have to either cease their operations or shift their business models to comply with new regulations.
Dream 11 is likely to be affected by the high-profile association with Team India, as the BCCI is set to discontinue its sponsorship deal, leaving a huge gap to fill before the Men in Blue’s opening Asia Cup fixture against the hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Dubai International Stadium on September 10.
The bill that put BCCI and Dream 11 in a difficult position
When the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 was first passed in the Lok Sabha last week, it immediately created uncertainty for Indian cricket’s commercial ecosystem, leaving the BCCI scrambling for the reassessment of their sponsorship and compelling Dream 11 to reconsider their involvement as the title sponsor for the Indian jersey.
The Act clearly states that no online gaming platforms shall promote, advertise, or any activity that directly or indirectly encourages individuals to participate in online money gaming.
“No person shall offer any, 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,” the Online Gaming Act 2025 states.
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Since the government has officially made the Online Gaming Bill the law, the BCCI has no other option but to part ways with Dream 11, ending a lucrative sponsorship deal and leaving the Indian cricket board urgently seeking an alternative for title sponsorship for the Indian jersey.
The loss BCCI to incur after Dream 11 exit
In 2023, Dream 11 entered into three agreements with the BCCI to become India’s jersey title sponsor for a period of three years, with a contract worth INR 358 crore, which was supposed to run till 2026. This translates to an annual sponsorship cost of approximately ₹119 crore. In addition, the BCCI also tied up with MyCircle11 as a fantasy gaming partner, committing 625 crore for a period of five years from 2024 to 2028, earning approximately ₹125 crore per year.
In Financial Year 23, Dream 11’s parent company, Dream Sports, spent a whopping 2964 crore in advertising and promotion, a 37% jump from the previous year. According to the report by Economic Times, online gaming platforms, Dream 11 and MyCircle11, collectively spent INR 5000 crore annually on marketing, advertising, and promotions.
The exit of Dream 11 as Team India’s title sponsor will incur significant loss for the BCCI, as the board stands to lose close to INR 119 crore from Dream 11 alone and potentially a share of advertising revenue, merchandise tie-ups, and other commercial partnerships linked to the brand’s association with the Indian team.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 has put Dream 11 and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a challenging position, forcing the termination of the sponsorship agreement and creating an urgent need for alternative revenue sources to prevent the financial shortfall.