After the Online Gaming Bill was passed in the Parliament on Wednesday, August 21, there were natural speculations about the Dream 11 sponsorship deal with the Indian cricket team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extended its full support for the two bills, the National Sports Governance Law, 2025, and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Secretary Devajit Saikia noted that the body will follow them in ‘true letter and spirit’.
The Online Gaming Bill directly impacts the Indian cricket teams and their deal with the real-money app, Dream 11. Being their official shirt sponsor across all formats, this ban on the gaming platform has left several doubts.
Saikia on Gaming Bill
Speaking to the TOI, Saikia noted that the Act would require close examination, and in case its provisions allow, the sponsorship deal will continue with Dream 11. “If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything,” the BCCI secretary added.
Taking the example of the ‘sin-goods’ set to face 40% GST, he remarked that the BCCI had never taken sponsorships from cigarette or alcohol brands after the rule was passed not to. He expressed his full compliance with the government’s rulings in the past and the present. ” The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that is framed by the central government,” Saikia remarked.
How does the Gaming Act impact Dream 11?
The Act put a blanket ban on all real-money gaming apps, including Dream 11 and other big players like My 11 Circle. Irrespective of being a luck-based or skill-based game, the Act banned such platforms where players can spend real money to earn more.
Dream 11, a fantasy sports-based platform, comes under the skill-based section where users can put real money on the teams they made with their knowledge of the statistics. Based on the team’s performance, they can either earn more or lose the money they had put in. The new Act puts Dream 11 in an iffy position as Team India’s official shirt sponsor.
Dream 11-BCCI deal
BCCI onboarded Dream 11 as Team India’s official shirt sponsor for a Rs 358 crore deal from July 2023 to March 2026. The rights include featuring the Dream 11 logo in the forefront of the players’ jersey across men’s and women’s teams. It began with ICC World Test Championship 2023 series against the West Indies.
Replacing Team India’s former sponsor, Byju’s who paid Rs 5.5 crore for every bilateral fixture and Rs 1.7 crore for ICC games. The doomed sponsor cut ties with the BCCI as a cost-cutting measure, following insolvency petitions and regulatory scrutiny.