The recent enactment of the Online Gaming Regulation Bill 2025 in India has led to a ban on real-money gaming, causing significant financial repercussions for Indian cricketers who endorsed such platforms. Fantasy gaming platforms like Dream11 and My11Circle have ceased their real-money game offerings, leading to a potential loss of ₹150-200 crore in endorsement deals for Indian cricketers.
The ban has led to several online gaming platforms, including Dream11, My11Circle, MPL (Mobile Premier League), Zupee, Winzo, and PokerBaazi, suspending their real-money gaming services. Dream11, which was the Indian cricket team's jersey sponsor since 2023 with a ₹358 crore deal, has also withdrawn its sponsorship. My11Circle has also announced the suspension of all gaming services involving real money.
The top cricketers in India, who have been endorsing these fantasy gaming apps, are expected to face major losses. Virat Kohli, who endorsed MPL, reportedly earned ₹10-12 crore annually. Rohit Sharma, who was signed with Dream11, earned around ₹6-7 crore per year. MS Dhoni, who endorsed Dream11 and My11Circle, also earned approximately ₹6-7 crore annually. Younger players like Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, who relied on these endorsements for a significant portion of their income, will also be heavily impacted. Siraj's association with My11Circle alone accounted for a 33% reduction in his endorsement income following the ban. For some cricketers, this ban might wipe out their entire endorsement portfolio. Other players who endorsed these platforms include Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rinku Singh, KL Rahul and Sourav Ganguly.
The Indian government's decision to ban real-money games stems from concerns about addiction, financial harm, and social distress caused by these games. The new law imposes penalties, including imprisonment of up to three years and fines of up to ₹1 crore, for facilitating online money gaming services. Advertising such platforms could lead to imprisonment of up to two years and fines of ₹50 lakh.
Following the ban, Dream11 has shifted to a free-to-play model and assured users that deposit balances would be returned by August 29, 2025. However, non-cash credits like discount bonuses and points expired on August 23, 2025. Other platforms like Winzo and My11Circle have also assured users that their balances are safe and can be withdrawn.
The real-money gaming sector contributed approximately ₹20,000 crore annually in direct and indirect taxes and supported nearly 200,000 direct and indirect jobs across over 400 companies. Industry experts believe the ban could lead to widespread job losses and are exploring legal challenges and alternative advertising models. Dream11 will now focus on ventures like FanCode and Dream Game Studios.
The ban on real-money gaming is expected to significantly impact the advertising industry, with experts anticipating a ₹8,000–10,000 crore drop in annual ad revenue, especially affecting digital ad spending. The European Cricket Network has already suspended operations, citing the loss of Indian gaming investments.
