Did the Online Gaming Bill Just End Dream11’s Sponsorship With BCCI?

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 has sent shockwaves through the sports industry. The law bans all real money gaming in India. The biggest casualty of this move is Dream11. The fantasy sports giant has now confirmed it cannot continue as the lead sponsor of the Indian cricket teams.

What is Dream11?

Dream11 is India’s most popular fantasy sports platform. It allows fans to create virtual teams and earn points based on live match performances. Founded 18 years ago it grew from a small sports tech startup into the largest fantasy sports company in the world. Dream11 made cricket more interactive for fans and became a household name during the IPL.

Why the New Law Changed Everything

The Indian government passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025. The bill bans all real money games. It also restricts any advertising or promotion linked to real money gaming.

This ban has cut off almost 90 percent of the revenue for fantasy companies. Dream11 quickly announced it would stop all paid contests and move only to free-to-play social games.

A Blow to Indian Cricket Finances

Dream11 has a 44 million US dollar deal with BCCI for the period 2023 to 2026. That deal is now broken. My11Circle another fantasy platform also pays 125 crore rupees annually as the official IPL fantasy partner. Together both platforms contribute close to 1000 crore rupees to Indian cricket.

If both sponsors exit the loss will be massive for the board.

Key Sponsorship Numbers

• Dream11: 358 crore rupees deal with the BCCI
• My11Circle: 125 crore rupees annual IPL partnership
• Combined sponsorship value: close to 1000 crore rupees

What Dream11 Said in Short

Dream11 issued a note to users this morning. They said they had stopped all paid contests and turned fully into a free-to-play social platform.

They reminded fans that when they started they were less than 1 percent the size of the US fantasy market. With years of effort they became the world’s biggest fantasy platform. Their vision was always to make sports better for India.

The note thanked fans for their support and called this shift their second innings.

BCCI Response So Far

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has not made a formal comment. Sources close to the board suggest that they are studying the situation. The priority will be to safeguard revenue for the national teams and IPL.

Players and Personal Endorsements Also Affected

Many leading cricketers promote fantasy sports apps on their social media handles. These personal deals also face an uncertain future. With no real money contests the platforms have little reason to pay for endorsements.

Dream11’s Other Businesses Continue

Dream11 is part of the larger Dream Sports group. This includes

• FanCode: a digital sports streaming service
• DreamSetGo: sports travel and experiences
• Dream Game Studios: gaming development arm
• Dream Sports Foundation: social and community programs

These businesses will continue even as fantasy sports contracts shrink.

Government’s Stand

The bill clearly says no person can aid, promote, or advertise any real money gaming service. Social gaming and subscription-based services are still allowed.

This means Dream11 and similar apps can exist but without their most profitable model.

Watch Live on Tapmad

Fans can still enjoy every Team India match live on Tapmad. The platform offers smooth streaming and easy access for cricket lovers around the world.

Conclusion

The Online Gaming Bill 2025 has changed fantasy sports forever in India. Dream11 has ended its paid contests and informed BCCI it cannot continue as a sponsor. My11Circle may follow.

For Indian cricket this is a financial setback. For fans, the experience of building real money fantasy teams is gone. The game on the field remains the same but the business around it has taken a dramatic turn.