Will Dream11 continue as Team India’s sponsor? BCCI secretary reacts after Online Gaming Bill gets passed

Dream11, a real-money online gaming platform, currently serves as the jersey sponsor for both India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams. Their contract, valued at INR 358 crore, spans from July 2023 to March 2026, encompassing branding rights across all formats.

Team India faces the risk of donning a jersey without a logo in the forthcoming Men’s Asia Cup, set to commence on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates. This predicament arose after ‘The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill’ was approved by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The newly enacted legislation prohibits all forms of online fantasy sports and gambling platforms, including Dream 11.

It is important to note that Dream 11 has been the primary sponsor for India since July 2023. The original agreement granted the online fantasy sports platform sponsorship rights for a duration of three years.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to officially announce its future relationship with Dream 11. Nevertheless, board secretary Devajit Saikia has made it clear that the BCCI intends to adhere to the country’s regulations.

“If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that is framed by the central government,” Saikia told news agency AFP on Friday.

On Friday, Dream 11 released an official statement confirming that “cash games and contests have been discontinued” following the passage of the bill in the Indian parliament.

What does the new bill entail?

The legislation that prohibits online money games and betting has now made it a criminal offense to promote and finance such games, with violators facing potential imprisonment of up to five years.

As reported by Sportstar, government statistics reveal that fantasy sports platforms had extracted USD 2.3 billion annually from 450 million users.

Dream11, a real-money online gaming platform, currently serves as the jersey sponsor for both India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams. Their contract, valued at INR 358 crore, spans from July 2023 to March 2026, encompassing branding rights across all formats. This partnership began during India’s ICC World Test Championship series against the West Indies.

ALSO READ| ‘It was embarrassing’: Ex-Australia star reveals Virat Kohli’s fierce response to failed sledging attempt on Test debut

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}