Credit: BCCI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia has issued a statement after the government introduced the Online Gaming Act which will prohibit the activities of all gaming organisations which involve money. If the contravention of the law takes place, offenders will face a three years imprisonment and penalty upto INR 1 crore. With the new law, Team India’s lead jersey sponsor Dream11 also got impacted, and now, the current T20 World Cup champions are on verge of losing the deal with them ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 to begin from September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In July 2023, Dream11 stitched an INR 358-crore three-year sponsorship deal with the board. As per the contract, the deal is active until March 2026 but with the latest development, a crisis has occurred.
Devajit Saikia recently disclosed that the board won’t do anything which is prohibited by the government, and also emphasised on abiding the laws. “If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. The BCCI will follow every policy of the country that the central government frames.” remarked Saikia.
Team India may go to Asia Cup 2025 without a lead sponsor
If Dream11 is declared non-compliant, Team India may enter the Asia Cup 2025 without a lead sponsor. In the upcoming weeks, BCCI can open bidding for new sponsorship and Tata and Adani can be seen showing interest. The latest law is expected to affect India's sports sector heavily as fantasy gaming organisations have not only heavily invested in cricket but football, hockey, kabaddi and various renowned sporting leagues as well.
Amidst these scenes, analysts have warned that the predicament of these fantasy gaming companies could perturb the financial lifeline of several sporting companies. Eyes will be set on BCCI, how it will fill the vacuum which has been created following the latest developments.
