Dream11 controversy: The Indian Premier League (IPL) has had a series of controversies in the past, and it may be staring at yet another one. The BCCI has made Dream 11, an online gaming platform, its official partner for the IPL. Dream 11 and BCCI have inked a three-year Rs 120 crore deal. The gaming platform’s business is similar to sports gambling which is prohibited in India.
Dream11 gives an opportunity to participants to win cash prize by predicting performance of a player during a particular match in the ongoing IPL.
Dream11 has also partnered with seven other IPL franchises and has roped in Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador.
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As per a report in the Indian Express, a top BCCI official along with an official of an IPL franchise had raised objections over the tie-up with Dream 11 in 2018. However, their the deal was given a green signal by the BCCI after Dream 11 founders convinced the cricketing authority that the online gaming was legal and didn’t violate any rule.
Bhavit Sheth, Dream 11 co-founder, told the newspaper that a 2017 judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also said that the game was legal. A petition challenging the high court’s verdict was dismissed by the Supreme in the same year, Dream 11 claims on its website and mobile app.
People of states like Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Odisha and Telangana can not participate in Dream 11 as these states have strict gambing laws.
Dream11 had also signed a three-year partnership agreement with Australian domestic T20 league KFC Big Bash League (BBL) in 2018.
Currently the gaming platform has an user base of 2 crore sports fans playing ‘fantasy cricket, football, kabaddi and NBA’, a press release issued by Dream11 had said earlier.