Calling it “deeply unjust” and “unethical,” Smrita Singh Chandra, former Vice President of Policy Communications at Dream11, has sharply criticised the Union government’s sweeping ban on real-money online gaming (RMG), hours after the Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
“I am writing this with a heavy heart,” Chandra said in a LinkedIn post. “Declaring a platform illegal after years of validation, taxation, and judicial recognition isn’t just wrong—it is deeply unethical.”
Chandra, who spent nine years at Dream11, said she watched the platform grow “brick by brick, regulation by regulation, court order by court order,” while ensuring compliance and ethics. Yet, she argued, the government had chosen to “criminalise a vibrant, skill-based industry overnight” without recognising the difference between fantasy sports and gambling, despite repeated Supreme Court and High Court judgments in fantasy sports’ favour.
Economic blow to a sunrise sector
The bill, introduced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, bans all forms of RMG—whether skill-based or chance-based—while promoting e-sports and educational gaming. The move effectively outlaws fantasy sports platforms like Dream11, which Chandra noted had already been recognised as “games of skill” under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Warning of the economic fallout, she said India’s fantasy sports market, valued at USD 1.82 billion in 2025, was projected to touch USD 5.05 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 22.6%. “These aren’t just numbers—they reflect livelihoods, innovation in Indian sports, highly skilled jobs, and a new generation of digitally empowered sports fans,” she said.
A call for dialogue
Chandra urged the government to reconsider its stance and engage in dialogue with the industry. “This isn’t just about one company. This is about fairness. About creating an ecosystem where innovation is encouraged, not penalised without dialogue,” she wrote, signing off as a “proud ex-Dreamster.”