India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams could take the field without a front-of-shirt sponsor as Dream11 winds down real-money gaming in response to sweeping legislation.
The logo on India’s cricket shirt is suddenly in play. Dream11, Team India’s principal jersey sponsor, is preparing to shut its core real-money gaming business in India after Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025.
Multiple outlets including Reuters and TechCrunch report that leading fantasy and skill-game operators have begun pulling real-money products while they await presidential assent, the final step before the law takes effect.
Both houses reportedly cleared the bill this week. The measure outlaws “online money games” and bars any advertising or payments tied to them.
The government has framed the move as a response to social and financial harms among young people; minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Parliament the state had a duty to act. Presidential assent is still pending but widely viewed as a formality.
What it means for Team India
Reports from local media note the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is seeking clarity on whether the Dream11 logo can appear on national team kits once the law commences.
With the Asia Cup starting on September 9 in the UAE, there is now a scenario where India could play in a clean shirt unless a compliant replacement is found.
Dream11 replaced Byju’s as India’s lead jersey sponsor in July 2023 on a deal running to March 2026. The Economic Times pegged the rights at ₹358 crore.
The BCCI is already preparing contingencies. Exchange4Media reports the board may invite bids for a new jersey sponsor, while BestMediaInfo says a tender could ensure India do not take the field without a brand.
In public comments carried by the Times of India, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stressed the board will “only do what’s allowed under Indian law.”
The law that changes the game
The bill, published by PRS Legislative Research, creates a national authority for online gaming and draws a bright line around “online money games,” irrespective of skill or chance. Three clauses matter most for sport and sponsorship:
- Section 5 bans offering or facilitating online money gaming services.
- Section 6 bans advertising that directly or indirectly promotes online money gaming.
- Section 7 bars banks and fintechs from processing payments for such services.
Penalties include up to three years’ imprisonment and fines up to ₹1 crore for operators and payment facilitation, and up to two years/₹50 lakh for advertising, rising for repeat offences.
That makes on-shirt logos, in-stadium branding and broadcast graphics promoting RMG brands legally fraught once the law is notified.
Knock-on effects across the IPL
Beyond the national team, Dream11 has been a near-ubiquitous presence in franchise cricket. Marketing trade outlet Social Samosa lists Dream11 partnerships across multiple IPL teams this season, including Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
These roles have ranged from title or principal partner to official partner. Those assets will need urgent review for domestic exposure under the ad ban.
What Dream11 is doing
Entrackr reports the Dream Sports leadership told staff in a town hall that the company would wind down its real-money gaming operations.
Companies are expected to pivot to non-RMG products and overseas markets while they assess the final text and timelines.
- Asia Cup 2025: tournament begins September 9 in the UAE; India squad already named.
- Law commencement: the Act takes effect on a date notified by the central government after presidential assent. There is no explicit grandfathering language in Sections 5–7, so existing sponsorships would be in scope once notified.
India’s jersey is prime advertising real estate in world sport. If Dream11’s logo cannot appear once the law is notified, BCCI faces a short-term revenue gap and a rapid replacement hunt ahead of a major tournament.
The bigger story is more structural, however. A federal ad and payments ban on real-money games will ripple through cricket’s commercial ecosystem, from central sponsorships to IPL inventory and player endorsement portfolios.
According to Reuters, the industry now expects app closures and job cuts as operators retool, with cricket’s most visible brand placements among the first casualties
Insider Sport have reached out to Dream11 for comment.
