CHENNAI: K* looked fidgety throughout the evening on Friday. He was hoping to recover some money he had lost during the IPL in the next cricket series (played anywhere in the world). But the one passion he had suddenly melted in the darkness. He could no longer make teams on Dream11 or My11Circle. All fantasy gaming apps have suspended cash games. An official communiqué of Dream11 said: “cash games and contests have been discontinued” but “stay tuned”. Basically, there is a glimmer of hope. Dream11 is one of the fantasy gaming sites that is more popular than even the game of cricket. During peak hours the number of players participating in this vocation can go up to more than 10 crore.
There are indications that because of the contests over making fantasy teams, more and more people have started watching cricket. One can see people watching it on the mobile handsets on trains, buses and anywhere they can manage. Cricket had been a religion, but with the fantasy gaming sites offering money, it turned into another obsession with billions hooked to it. If the Indian Premier League has been recreating records on the field, the fantasy league apps led by Dream11 were recreating a new world order.
However, it had its flipside too. Though the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) and esports federations, and considered fantasy leagues that promote making teams, as a game of skill and allowed them to continue, there were sharp criticisms as well. There were cases where excessive loss led to depressions and even suicides. The government said this upfront when they tabled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
The gaming industry is humongous. Until about 2023, even the government seemed happy with the gaming ecosystem in the country. However, according to a Press Information Bureau release, the bill was needed because “The rapid spread of online money games has created serious risks for individuals, families and the nation. According to an estimate, 45 crore people are negatively affected by online money games and faced a loss of more than Rs 20,000 crores because of it. The government has acted to close these gaps and protect citizens.”
One of the sectors that is going to take a big hit is cricket. What lies ahead for the India teams, leagues and sports that were being sponsored by platforms such as Dream11 and the entire ecosystem, touted to be valued at over Rs 2 lakh crore? A day before it was tabled in the Lok Sabha, the industry, led by its three associations — the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS), E-Gaming Federation (EGF) and the All India Gaming federation (AIGF) — wrote a letter pleading their case. “This Bill, if passed, will shut down regulated and responsible Indian platforms, driving crores of players into the hands of illegal matka networks, offshore gambling websites, and fly-by-night operators who operate without safeguards, consumer protections, or taxation,” they wrote to the home ministry.
While the industry can continue to offer their services to customers, it can only be the free version as Dream11 said in their statement: “... pivoted entirely to a free-to-play online social game”. The ripple effect will be felt all over the Indian sporting system.
The IPL as a tournament itself and every team taking part is tied with various real-money gaming firms, including Dream11 and My11Circle. Team India itself is sponsored by Dream11. BCCI onboarded Dream11 as Team India’s official shirt sponsor for a Rs 358 crore deal from July 2023 to March 2026.
Why they even had a fantasy sporting platform as sponsor is a different question and the BCCI or Indian cricket will not have problems finding a new one. However, the road ahead is going to be rough. “My11Circle has committed Rs 625 cr for an IPL associate sponsorship slot, while Dream11 has consistently backed franchises such as Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Sunrisers Hyderabad as title or principal sponsors. My11Circle is currently an IPL associate sponsor at the league level, contributing a large share of central sponsorship revenue. Separately, Dream11 has team-level sponsorships, serving as Title Partner and Principal Partners for some teams. Together, fantasy sports brands account for hundreds of crores in sponsorship inflows, making IPL one of the most exposed properties to a potential ban,” Santosh N, managing partner of D&P Advisory, an independent valuation company said.
Indian cricket and cash-rich IPL may ride the tide, but the same cannot be said with certainty about several other small leagues, and tournaments held by associate nations who do not have the financial prowess like the full-member nations. Tournaments that happen all over the world were able to find a streaming platform and survive financially because of the interest millions of those who take part in the real money gaming, especially in India, show. My11Circle also counts a number of active Indian cricketers as their brand ambassadors. As per the bill, they can’t endorse any of these products. It is not just cricket; Gameskraft is sponsoring several athletes and academies involved in Olympics. They might also be affected.
The danger right now would be illegal betting sites luring the same users. If so, the government will lose out more and with these sites based abroad legal actions too would be difficult. Like one fantasy game user says, “shaam ko ab kya karenge? (what will we do in the evening?), as if it has become part of their lives.” If addiction is what the government wanted to stop, how far gaming players will manage to check their withdrawals need to be seen. In short, all caught between fantasy and reality. *Name withheld
