Recently, the Indian government passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 to ban all online games that pay real money. This not only shook the cricket’s financial network but also marked a big change in terms of sponsorships.

The fantasy sports giant Dream11, which has been the Indian cricket team’s jersey sponsor since 2023, has pulled out of the sponsorship deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) worth INR 358 crore.

Along with Dream11, other fantasy gaming firms like My11Circle, Vinzo, Mobile Premier League (MPL), Zupee, and several others faced a sudden ban, thereby forcing the athletes and franchises of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to reconsider their strategies.

While BCCI is expected to announce its new sponsor soon, the stalwarts of the Indian cricket team might face a huge financial blow.

How Real-Money Gaming Apps Shaped Indian Player Endorsements?

Most of the Indian cricketers earn different amounts from brand endorsements. Starting from experienced players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni to the rising talents such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, here is how the player endorsements and earnings from real-money gaming apps vary:

Loss Faced by Indian Cricketers Due to Real Money Gaming Apps Ban

According to the latest reports, the Indian cricketers might face a loss of INR 150 to 200 crore approximately per year. This is because the latest law banned the promotional advertisements related to the real-money games, thereby ending the players’ deal with those most famous companies.

While star players are estimated to lose 5% to 10% of their earnings from brand endorsements, the younger or less experienced players might experience a huge impact, ranging from 50 to 100%.

For example, Mohammed Siraj, who is linked with the three brands, might face a 33% deduction in his endorsement earnings due to the My11Circle loss. Similar is the case of Washington Sundar, who holds three brands to his name.

IPL Teams to Face a Massive Blow

As the first big effect of the new law caused BCCI to lose its jersey sponsor, the IPL franchises are on the verge of losing their core sponsors.

For instance, My11 Circle contributes INR 125 crore annually to the BCCI as an associate sponsor. Having signed the 5-year deal, and with another three years still left. Due to the ban, BCCI will now need to find a new sponsor even if it doesn’t happen immediately.

Especially, Dream11 has been the sponsor for IPL franchises like Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Gujarat Titans (GT). Due to the ban on real-money gaming companies, these teams are likely to lose around INR 10 to 20 crores or even more in terms of annual sponsorship revenue.

Loss For the Advertising Industry

With the promotions of the real-money gaming apps getting banned, the advertising industry might face an annual loss of INR 8,000 to 10,000 crore. To explain in simpler terms, nearly 75 to 80% of the revenue from such platforms will be diminished, which will have a severe impact on digital advertising and the brand value of the veteran and emerging cricketers.

One such major consequence is the sharp reduction in the ads spent. It includes around 7 to 8% of the overall budget invested and 15 to 20% of investment in digital ads, given the heavy dependence on real money gaming in online promotions.

Final Opinion

The Indian government has taken this decision after receiving countless complaints from users who lost crores of rupees in such platforms.

Several individuals support this move to approve the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025. At the same time, a few critics argue that if online gaming apps are considered as addiction and illegal, then severe action should be taken against the gambling, casinos, and liquor consumption and smoking as well.

However, a few suggested that banning such real-money gaming apps might prompt the regular gamers to use illegal betting websites or apps. As the legal ways to bet on fantasy sports platforms are forbidden, users might search for alternatives, no matter if it is risky or unapproved.

Moreover, the new bill clearly specifies that users investing funds even after the ban could serve two to three years of tenure in jail and a hefty fine of upto INR 2 crore.

Overall, the fantasy gaming apps tally upto 15 to 20% of digital advertising budgets, the new bill might prompt the brands and the star cricketers to adopt a cautious approach in their endorsement strategies.