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Dream11 Pulls Out! Team India Needs A New Title Sponsor Ahead Of Asia Cup 2025
Follow UsThe decision comes in the wake of the Indian government’s crackdown on online gaming
Fantasy sports company Dream11 has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it will no longer be able to sponsor the national team, starting from the Asia Cup 2025, which will be played in the UAE from September 9, the Indian Express reported on August 25 (Monday).
The decision comes in the wake of the Indian government’s crackdown on online gaming. Earlier this week, President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, just days after it was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The bill declares any application or online platform offering money-based games or related services in India illegal.
The new legislation states: “no person shall offer aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services, nor shall be involved in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game.”
“(Representatives of) Dream11 visited the BCCI office and informed CEO Hemang Amin that they won’t be able to continue… As a result, they won’t be the team’s sponsors for the Asia Cup. The BCCI will float a new tender soon,” a BCCI official told the Indian Express.
“According to another official, the pullout will not attract any penalty since the contract includes a clause which stipulates that if any law brought by the Government impacts the sponsor’s core business, they ‘won’t be liable to pay anything’ to the cricket board,” Devendra Pandey reported.
Meanwhile, according to NDTV, Toyota Motor Corporation and a fintech start-up have already expressed interest in becoming India’s title sponsor. The report also noted that Team India’s Asia Cup jerseys, featuring Dream11 branding, have already been printed, but will no longer be used.
India are placed in Group A of the Asia Cup 2025 alongside Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, and will begin their campaign against the UAE on September 10. Group B features Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.