 "Team India stares at possibility of playing Asia Cup without jersey sponsor after Indian government's strong step")
The Indian cricket team could be forced to play in the Asia Cup 2025 without a main sponsor and wearing a jersey without a logo at the front of the shirt after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The bill that bans online money games and betting was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
While the Online Gaming Bill still needs the President of India’s signature to become a law, it is merely a formality. As a result of the Online Gaming Bill, fantasy sports apps like Dream11 and My11Circle, which run real-money competitions, will be forced out of operation and they will not be allowed to place ads.
BCCI makes big money from Dream11, My11Circle
The interesting thing here is that the fantasy sports giants Dream11 and My11Circle are major sponsors of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian cricket team and the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Also Read | India cracks down on real-money gaming: Impact of Online Gaming Bill on cricket and other sports
Dream11 joined BCCI as the main sponsor of the Indian cricket team on a contract worth Rs 358 crore for three years till March 2026, as per reports. According to this contract, the name of Dream11 features at the front of the jerseys for the Indian men’s cricket, the Indian women’s cricket team and the Indian Under-19 teams. My11Circle is the associate sponsor of IPL, having agreed in 2024 to pay Rs 625 crore for five years.
After the Parliament passed the Online Gaming Bill, the BCCI will now need to find a new sponsor for the Indian cricket team, as they cannot continue with Dream11, whose main business has been made illegal.
Team India to play Asia Cup without main sponsor?
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told the Times of India that the board will follow the policies formed by the Indian government and a call regarding continuing with Dream11 or any future partnerships with a new online gaming company will be taken after carefully examining the Online Gaming Bill.
“Once the act comes into force, we will look into it, examine it and if it’s permissible, then we will take sponsorship (from online betting and gaming companies), if it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything," Saikia told The Times of India.
“Take the example of cigarettes and liquor. Has the BCCI taken any sponsorship from the cigarettes and liquor companies once taking sponsorship from these kinds of companies was banned? So, whatever is permissible in the laws in force in our country, we will do that only. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country which is framed by the central government," he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsHowever, it’s highly unlikely that Dream11 would continue as India’s main sponsor at the Asia Cup 2025, which begins on 9 September. In case BCCI fails to find a new sponsor in the next few weeks, then we may see the Men in Blue playing their matches in the UAE without a main sponsor or a logo on the front of their jerseys.
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