Saralnama
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ended its title sponsorship deal with fantasy sports company Dream11 due to the government's ban on real money gaming under the 'Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming' act. The ban prohibits offering or promoting online money gaming services, with penalties including fines up to ₹1 crore or imprisonment for three years. Dream11, which had a three-year ₹358 crore contract starting in 2023, is exiting with nearly a year remaining but will not face penalties as the BCCI acknowledges the situation is due to government regulations. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the sponsorship has ended and the board is seeking new sponsors, though a replacement is unlikely to be finalized before the Asia Cup next month. The process involves inviting and scrutinizing bids, which takes time. The ban also impacts My11Circle, the fantasy sports partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), though the IPL's March 2026 start allows more time to find alternatives if needed. The BCCI expects short-term profit impacts and is working on new plans to address the sponsorship gap. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 13:10 IST; source: link)