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Bengaluru FC's Sunil Chhetri
Countless real-money gaming firms such as Dream11, Mobile Premier League, My11Circle, WinZO and RummyCircle saw their prospects darken after the government’s Online Gaming Bill of August 20th 2025 sought to outlaw platforms where users pay to play and earn cash rewards.
Sporting leagues, teams and athletes across India are likely to feel a similar chill. Real-money gaming companies have poured vast sums into sponsorships. If the bill forces these firms to close, Indian sport stands to lose a crucial source of funding.
Dream11, for instance, has been the official fantasy gaming partner of the Indian Premier League, the Pro Kabaddi League and the Indian Super League. Its logo has appeared on team jerseys in both the IPL and ISL, and it sponsors the Indian national cricket team’s jersey after reportedly paying 358 crore rupees to the BCCI. It, along with many similar firms, also counts a roster of Indian and international cricketers among its endorsers.
Football x Fantasy Sports? A thrilling partnership to win big! 🤩
— NorthEast United FC (@NEUtdFC) October 3, 2022
Highlanders, please welcome @Dream11 as our 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 for the upcoming season! ❤️🤍🖤#StrongerAsOne#TogetherWeAreInfinite#DreamBig#Dream11pic.twitter.com/UdNmNcN149
The big real-money gaming firms use sponsorships to build awareness and keep users engaged. Smaller rivals piggyback on this by offering games linked to these leagues, hoping to tap into their fan base.
Cricket takes the lion’s share
According to GroupM’s Sporting Nation report, India’s sports sponsorship industry grew by 6% last year to reach 16,633 crore rupees, up from 15,766 crore in 2023.
The share of real-money gaming firms is harder to pin down. “It is safe to assume that close to 85–87% of real-money gaming sponsorship spends are directed towards cricket,” says Jigar Rambhia, head of Fuse India, Omnicom Media Group’s global sports and entertainment agency.
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The rest goes to kabaddi, football and volleyball. “Franchise-based leagues would be the first to feel the pinch. The Pro Kabaddi League, the Indian Super League if it happens this year, and emerging leagues such as volleyball are still in the process of building a steady sponsorship base.”
Although these amounts are modest beside cricket, Rambhia warns that their dependence on gaming sponsors is greater, making a withdrawal more disruptive. He also points out that many local and domestic cricket leagues, which lean heavily on gaming brands, would be among the worst hit.
A veteran sports marketer with more than two decades of experience echoes this view, noting that football and kabaddi will be hardest hit after cricket. He adds that “athlete development” will also suffer.
Real-money gaming firms do not only bankroll sponsorships but also fund training. The Dream Sports Foundation, affiliated with Dream11, has invested in programmes in table tennis, badminton, basketball and football.
Who will fill the sponsorship vacuum?
The Online Gaming Bill criminalises the promotion of real-money gaming apps with fines and even jail time. For Indian sport, which had grown reliant on such firms, the search for alternatives will not be easy.
“It is short-sighted to ask who can replace them next year. The real question is who will sustain sponsorships over the next five years,” says the veteran sports marketer. IPL teams may be able to find new jersey sponsors, he notes, but other sports will struggle.
“In the absence of gaming brands, categories such as BFSI, automobiles and e-commerce are best positioned to step in,” says Rambhia. “These sectors have historically leveraged sports to connect with large, diverse audiences and align strongly with the consumer profile that sports deliver.”
While their spending may not immediately match the aggressive pace of gaming brands, Rambhia adds, “they are well placed to gradually fill the gap and bring stability to the sponsorship ecosystem.”