The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the world’s richest cricketing body, has severed sponsorship links with Dream11, its primary sponsor. This comes after the Indian government recently approved the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill. The Act was introduced to promote e-sports and online social games, as well as online real money gaming services, advertisements, and related financial activities.
Devajit Saikia, the BCCI’s secretary, announced the two organisations’ separation. Saikia further stated that the cricketing body will avoid engaging or associating with comparable brands for future sponsorship deals, at least for the time being.
“The BCCI has already announced the termination of the partnership. 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 organizations ahead in future,” stated Saikia, in a report as quoted by.
Although a spokesperson of Dream11 did not comment on the situation, it is understood as per the aforementioned report that the initiative to end the highly-valued deal was mutual. In fact, the onus for taking immediate action was on the BCCI more than Dream11, despite the latter having been onboarded for a lucrative amount of INR 358 crore.
Dream11’s parent company Dream Sports had signed a jersey sponsorship deal for a total of three years with the BCCI in 2023.
This means that India will be currently without a sponsor with the Asia Cup round the corner next month. It will be interesting whether the BCCI will land up another deal with any other organization in the next period of two weeks.
The salient features of the Online Gaming Bill are:
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Complete ban on offering, operating, or facilitating online money games, irrespective of whether based on skill, chance, or both.
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Ban on advertising and promotion of money games across all forms of media.
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Ban on financial transactions linked to real money gaming; banks and payment systems barred from processing such payments.
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Empowerment to block access to unlawful gaming platforms under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
It is also understood that the banks have blocked the pathway for any sort of transaction going through with the gaming companies.
India
