The Indian cricketing environment is anticipated to be significantly impacted by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025. The sponsorship agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Dream11, a fantasy game division owned by Dream Sports, was worth INR 358 crore. According to sources, the BCCI may find a sponsor for India prior to the start of the Asia Cup 2025 next month.
However, the government’s decision to completely ban real-money apps is certain to cause a big uproar. According to the most recent reports that have surfaced, the aftershock is expected to affect not just the cricket players but also the numerous corporations and advertising that were closely associated with these kinds of apps.
A number of Men in Blue athletes had connections to various fantasy sports websites. While other top platforms had also brought in players like Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, and even former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, Dream11 had contracts with Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya. Players like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli will also be impacted.
According to estimates, Kohli’s annual contract with the MPL, India’s jersey sponsor, is worth between INR 10 and 12 crore. The anticipated cost of Dhoni’s connection to a well-known platform is between INR 6 and 7 crore. The amount for up-and-coming players was about INR 1 crore. According to Cricbuzz, Indian cricket players collectively lose between INR 150 and 200 crore annually. Since these businesses were the only brands in their lineup, the prohibition has essentially eliminated the endorsement income for a large number of players.
Impact on the IPL and cricket industry after fantasy gaming ban
It is anticipated that the cricketing board will also experience the cascading effect. My11 Circle, an associate sponsor of the Indian Premier League, was giving the BCCI INR 125 crore annually. The five-year contract had three years remaining. Some of the IPL teams, like as KKR, LSG, and SRH, would no longer receive the hefty sum of INR 10–20 crore annually that they were previously receiving.
According to Karan Taurani, executive vice-president of Elara Capital and an expert in the advertising sector, the bill is likely to cost a staggering INR 8,000 to 10,000 crore annually. He also discussed how the declining share affects the cricketing system as a whole.
“In terms of overall advertising spends, these gaming companies contribute around 7-8 percent of the market. Nearly 80 percent of that will vanish, since real money gaming accounts for 75-80 percent of the overall gaming market. So, that is one big impact. Roughly 7-8 percent of total ad spends and about 15-20 percent of digital ad spends will also disappear, because their share in digital advertising is higher. This was the amount being spent on cricket and cricketers. Now, I think endorsements for cricketers will take a hit. Their brand value and income are bound to decline. While players endorse multiple products, the real money gaming segment contributed significantly to their endorsement revenue, which could drop by 20-25 percent. Broadly, that translates to about INR 8,000-10,000 crore.”
