The BCCI confirms that its sponsorship deal with Dream11 had ended
This happened due to the new Online Gaming bill banning money-based gaming.
Endorsements from fantasy gaming companies and player partnerships now face major uncertainty.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 25 August, 2025 confirmed that its association with fantasy sports platform Dream11 has officially ended. The Indian cricket team now doesn’t have any title sponsor for the Asia Cup in UAE. The decision comes after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was passed by both houses of Parliament last week and received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent. All money-based online gaming services are prohibited according to the new law.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board would not enter into agreements with such companies in the future. “BCCI and Dream11 are discontinuing their relationship after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was passed. BCCI will ensure not to indulge with any such organisations in future,” he told ANI.
According to officials, Dream11 representatives recently met BCCI CEO Hemang Amin in Mumbai and conveyed their inability to continue sponsorship. The board is now expected to issue a new tender for sponsorship rights. However, due to a clause in the sponsorship agreement, Dream11 will not face any penalties, as the law directly impacts its core business.
Dream11 company was founded 18 years ago and valued at $8 billion. The company had replaced Byju’s as Indian team’s lead sponsor in July 2023. This happened with a three-year deal which was worth a total of ₹358 crore. The company had close ties with the IPL. It had signed top players like M.S. Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassadors. After Vivo’s exit, the company also served as IPL’s title sponsor in 2020.
Dream11 has built a wide network of global partnerships, including associations with the Caribbean Premier League, New Zealand’s Super Smash, Australia’s Big Bash and Women’s Big Bash League, as well as a 2018 collaboration with the International Cricket Council. Beyond cricket, the platform has tied up with the Indian Super League, Pro Kabaddi League, and the International Hockey Federation. In 2017, it also introduced a fantasy game in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Saikia admitted the new law had left the BCCI with no option but to part ways. “Under the new legislation, it will be difficult for the BCCI to continue with Dream11 or any other identical gaming companies. With the Asia Cup just weeks away, we are deliberating on alternatives,” he said.
In compliance with the law, Dream11 has already suspended all paid contests and shifted to free-to-play formats. In a statement, the company said, “We have always been a law-abiding company. While we believe progressive legislation would have been the way forward, we respect and fully comply with the new bill.”
The Online Gaming Act bans all real-money gaming services, warning against offering, promoting, or advertising such platforms. The government has cited psychological harm, financial losses, money laundering, tax evasion, and potential links to terrorism financing as key reasons behind the prohibition.
Both Dream11 and My11Circle contribute together nearly ₹1,000 crore per year to Indian Cricket’s sponsorship pool. But now both of them are facing uncertainty under the new law. Endorsements of fantasy sports apps by individual cricketers are also expected to decline, signaling a major shift in India’s sports sponsorship landscape. [Rh/Eth/VP]
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