BCCI Ends ₹358 Crore Jersey Sponsorship Deal with Dream11 After New Gaming Bill

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially ended its ₹358 crore jersey sponsorship deal with Dream11, the world’s largest real money gaming company. The decision comes in the wake of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which completely bans real money gaming, its promotion, and related financial transactions in India.

Why the Partnership Ended?

The landmark bill made the continuation of the agreement between BCCI and Dream11 untenable. Under the new law, the sponsorship would have been illegal to continue. Issuing a statement, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the termination:

“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 ahead in future.”

Dream11 has not offered an official comment, but reports suggest the decision was mutually agreed, as both parties recognised the legal constraints.

The Law That Changed the Game

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 brought strict measures against money-based online gaming, including:

• A total ban on offering, operating, or facilitating such games, whether based on skill, chance, or both.
• Prohibition on advertisements and promotions of real money games across all forms of media.
• Ban on financial transactions linked to gaming platforms, with banks and payment gateways explicitly barred from processing payments.
• Empowerment to block access to unlawful gaming sites under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Since its enactment, banks have already begun blocking all transactions related to gaming companies, further tightening the restrictions.

Impact on Indian Cricket

Dream Sports, Dream11’s parent company, had signed a three-year jersey sponsorship deal in 2023. With the deal abruptly ending, the Indian men’s team faces a rare situation of being without a jersey sponsor heading into the Asia Cup 2025, which begins in the UAE on September 9. Unless the BCCI completes a fresh deal in the next fortnight, India could feature in the tournament without any sponsor logo on their jerseys – something not seen in years.

                                               

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