Indian cricket industry's revenue to take hit as Lok Sabha passes Online Gaming Bill 2025: A look at its impact
While the Bill has been hailed as a landmark for esports and educational gaming, its restrictions on real money gaming platforms could spell trouble for a multi-billion-dollar fantasy gaming industry that has, until now, bankrolled cricket's sponsorship market.
The legislation sharply divides gaming into four categories: esports, educational gaming, social and casual gaming, and real-money gaming. Of these, real-money gaming — where users deposit funds and play for cash rewards — has been declared a criminal offence.
Key prohibitions include:
No person shall offer or engage in online money gaming services.
No bank or financial institution can facilitate transactions for such games.
Advertisements for online money games are banned across all media.
Penalties are steep. Service providers face up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ₹ 1 crore, while advertisers risk up to two years in jail or a fine of ₹ 50 lakh.
Few industries are as intertwined with real money gaming as Indian cricket. Dream11, for instance, currently holds the Indian cricket team's title sponsorship rights at approximately ₹ 358 crore, while My11Circle is the official fantasy partner of the IPL, paying a staggering ₹ 625 crore for a five-year deal.
In addition, current and former cricket stars command personal endorsement contracts worth tens of crores from fantasy gaming platforms, recounts PTI.
With the Bill prohibiting cash-based gaming models, these sponsorship streams could dry up, directly impacting:
The BCCI's central revenue pool from team and league sponsors, PTI says.
says. Franchise-based leagues in cricket, kabaddi and football that rely on gaming sponsorships.
Individual player endorsements, which may shrink dramatically.
Sports lawyer Vidushpat Singhania believes Indian cricket will survive, but not without consequences, according to PTI report.
'Cricket is huge in India and there won't be any dearth of sponsors for Indian cricket and its properties. However, the personal sponsorship market can shrink because of this bill. Fan engagement will also be affected,' he told PTI.
Industry insiders argue that fantasy gaming may pivot towards a subscription-based model, charging users an entry fee instead of facilitating real-money stakes. But such models may not generate the same scale of revenue as cash-based fantasy leagues.
As Singhania explained to PTI:
'There will be a subscription fee and say you pay ₹ 100 for a gaming app and test your skills in fantasy gaming. But real money gaming which is paying and earning money, that is prohibited as per this bill.'
This shift could diminish the massive revenue streams that have been flowing from fantasy gaming into cricket, raising questions about whether alternative sponsors can fill the gap.
While cricket may face a financial squeeze, the esports industry has welcomed the Bill. With esports gaining Olympic recognition and scheduled to debut at the Esports Olympics in Riyadh in 2027, the legislation's recognition of esports as a distinct category is seen as a milestone.
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming, told PTI:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Telangana's next-gen Life Sciences policy to help attract large scale investments
Industries and IT Minister Babu on Wednesday said the next-gen Life Sciences policy that the Telangana government plans to soon unveil will be instrumental in attracting large scale investments. It will be a cutting-edge framework designed to attract large scale investments,' he said, adding that the State is pursuing an ambitious target to scale up its life sciences economy to $250 billion by 2030 and make Telangana the life sciences capital of Asia. The State's life sciences ecosystem is valued at $80 billion and it is the only region in the world to host more than 250 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)-approved sites. Telangana is home to over 2,000 companies operating in the Life Sciences domain, Babu said, chairing the 6th board meeting of Telangana Life Sciences Foundation here. ₹54,000 cr. investment The life sciences sector in Telangana has witnessed remarkable growth under the leadership of Chief Minister Reddy. Since December 2023, the State has attracted investments worth ₹54,000 crore in the sector, in the process positioning Hyderabad as a global leader in life sciences. The investments have been across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, cell and gene therapy, medical devices, vaccines and digital health. Hyderabad now ranks among the world's top seven life sciences clusters and it is the only Indian city to achieve this distinction. Global giants such as Eli Lilly, Amgen, MSD, Zoetis, Evernorth and Olympus have chosen Hyderabad as their preferred hub, he said. The progress made in the last year reflects our strategic commitment to creating a future-ready, knowledge-driven ecosystem. Two lakh jobs Robust policy support, industry-friendly infrastructure and strategic partnerships are factors behind attracting the investments that will result in potential employment generation of more than 2 lakh jobs by companies in areas such as sterile injectables, biosimilars, biologics, AI/ML and advanced healthcare services. The Minister also proposed preparing a feasibility report for establishing the Telangana School of Life Sciences. Board members of the foundation, including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories chairman Satish Reddy, Laurus Labs CEO Satyanarayana Chava, Special Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation vice-chairman and managing director and Telangana Lifesciences CEO Shakthi M. Nagappan participated in the meeting, the Minister's office said in a release.
The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Hyderabad gamers hail Online Gaming Bill as boost for esports, curb on addiction
Gamers, creators and developers in Hyderabad on Wednesday welcomed the passage of the Online Gaming Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, describing it as a long-awaited step to curb the menace of real-money gaming (RMG) while opening up space for esports and skill-based gaming to grow. For Vinay Vangala, a Panjagutta resident who lodged a police complaint in March against online betting platforms, the development felt deeply personal. 'It is a relief to see this addressed at a national level,' he said. 'Both the State and Central governments have been clear about ending this menace. I am thankful to the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police for going after offenders, whether common people or celebrities.' Vinay admitted that he too had once been tempted. 'My friends in Ameerpet had told me about quick money through online games. I almost fell for it but after doing some research, I realised it was illegal. That was when I approached the Panjagutta police and filed a complaint.' His complaint encouraged others to share their struggles. Hyderabad's esports and gaming community have welcomed the Bill for shifting the conversation away from gambling-like activities. Dhanu Dino, a Malkajgiri resident and popular gaming influencer who runs Telugu Gaming FF with over 2.45 million YouTube subscribers, called it a chance to redirect energy toward esports. 'This move will push focus back to esports. The Telugu influencer community had already distanced itself from RMG two years ago. The future is esports, not betting apps.' Dhanu explained that a successful, thriving career can be built sans the RMG method. 'If you just create good content on YouTube, Instagram or streaming apps, you can be assured of a career. I am buying a house this year with the money I earned through esports, YouTube revenue and streaming; never RMG or ads,' he added. He hoped the new law would mean 'the next generation won't even know what RMG is'. Meanwhile, developers say that the Bill is an overdue chance to separate video gaming from the taint of betting platforms. Sameer Chengappa, a game designer at Funfinity Interactive currently working on AS:RA Ashen Skies: Radiant Arena, emphasised that esports and traditional gaming should never be confused with gambling. 'The problem is that video games are being lumped together with RMG in the digital space. RMG is not gaming, it is closer to gambling which has its own regulations. Esports, video games and online gambling are all very different,' he said. He added, 'If the same rules applying to RMG are imposed on us, the industry simply cannot grow. This initiative was about drawing that line clearly.' 'Though this move cannot undo the loss we suffered, maybe others can be spared from such a fate,' said Sai Prasad, a private company employee from Musheerabad, adding that he lost his friend to online gambling addiction last year.
India.com
20 minutes ago
- India.com
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retired from ODI Cricket? ICC leaves fans in SHOCK by...
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. (PIC - X) New Delhi: Two great Indian players, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli disappeared from the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday, August 20. From this news, there is a big wave of questions by fans over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement in ODIs. Both these players, who have retired from Test and T20I, were removed from the ICC ODI rankings. A week ago, Rohit Sharma was in second place in the ODI rankings. On the other hand, Virat Kohli was in fourth place with 736 points. In the latest ODI rankings, Shubman Gill has reached the top with 756 points. Where is Babar Azam in the list? Babar Azam is now at number two in the current ICC rankings. The absence of Rohit and Virat's names in the top 100 is probably being considered a flaw in the ICC system. Because both the legendary players are currently active players in ODIs. When did Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli perform last in ODI? Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli last played an ODI in February 2025 in the Champions Trophy in the UAE. Rohit played a brilliant innings in the final of the tournament and led India to the ICC ODI trophy for the first time in a decade. How was Virat Kohli's performance in the Champions Trophy 2025? On the other hand, Kohli had performed brilliantly in the group stage of the tournament. He handled the India innings in the difficult conditions of the Dubai International Stadium. Teams like New Zealand and Australia gave a tough fight to the Indian team. Story Highlights Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's names disappeared from the ICC Men's ODI batting Rankings list. Babar Azam is now at number two in the current ICC rankings Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli performed brilliantly in the ODI matches A week ago, Rohit Sharma was on second and Virat Kohli on fourth in the ICC Men's ODI batting Rankings list.
