The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may be forced to drop Dream11 as Team India’s jersey sponsor following the recent passage of The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which prohibits all forms of online fantasy sports and gambling applications.
The new law, passed by both houses of Parliament – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, immediately affects Dream11. They’ve been the main sponsor of the Indian cricket team since July 2023, with a 3 year contract. Therefore, India may play in the forthcoming Men’s Asia Cup, starting September 9 in the United Arab Emirates, without a sponsor’s logo displayed on their team shirts.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the board would adhere strictly to the law. “If it’s not permissible, we will not proceed. The BCCI will follow every policy framed by the central government,” Saikia told AFP on Friday.
Dream Sports pivots to financial services
In response to the ban, Dream Sports, the parent company of Dream11, has discontinued all paid fantasy sports contests and rebranded the platform as a free-to-play social gaming service. Simultaneously, the company has announced the pilot launch of Dream Money, a financial services application designed to offer digital gold investments, fixed deposits, and low-value Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) starting at ₹10.
For the initiative, Dream Sports has partnered with Augmont, a regulated digital gold trading platform. Industry experts see this as a strategic diversification, allowing the company to mitigate regulatory risks while entering India’s fast-expanding wealth management sector.
Legal and commercial implications
The ban represents one of the most significant regulatory interventions in India’s digital economy, impacting a sector valued in billions of dollars. With Dream11 barred from continuing as an official sponsor, the BCCI may need to renegotiate commercial contracts or seek emergency sponsorship arrangements before the Asia Cup.
At present, the BCCI has not issued a formal statement regarding the sponsorship void. However, legal analysts note that the board is obligated to comply with central government policy, leaving little scope for exceptions.
