The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and several PL franchises are set to incur huge losses after fantasy gaming platforms have been banned based on the recent bill that has been passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The new rule came to the fore when the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was passed. This saw fantasy gaming platforms like Dream11, MyCircle11, and several apps that promote betting getting banned.
The step taken by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha also had its impact on the BCCI as the board had to discontinue their partnership with Dream11 as the official sponsors of Team India. They were contracted till 2027, but based on the recent sequence of events, the partnership ended.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: BCCI Seek New Sponsors After Dream 11 Ends Partnership With Indian Cricket Board
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Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni In Trouble After Dream11 Ban
However, as per reports, the BCCI might not have to pay a heavy price after Dream 11’s ban, but some of the Indian players might have to.
The likes of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, among a few others might have to pay the price as they were brand ambassadors of the gaming platform. Mohammed Siraj, Test skipper Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal endorsed My11 Circle. Virat Kohli was the brand ambassador of MPL, while MS Dhoni endorsed Winzo games.
The veteran trio is set to lose massive amounts after the ban on online gaming platforms, based on the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill. Kohli earns upto 200 crores from his sponsors and if MPL is banned, he might lose around 10-12 crores. For Rohit, the number might be anywhere between 50-60 crores overall and he might lose 6-7 crores. Dhoni too might lose the same as Kohli. A report in Cricbuzz said that the Indian players cumulatively might lose upto 150-200 crores annually.
Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: Toyota Among Big Names Interested In BCCI Sponsorship
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IPL Franchises Set To Lose Big Money
Not only the players but even the IPL and the IPL franchises could be in serious loss. My 11 Circle was the associate sponsor and paid INR 125 Cr to the BCCI. They signed a five-year deal and had three years remaining still. The likes of Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants, all of who had Dream11 as their official sponsors, are set to lose big money, almost 10-12 crores a year. The overall advertising agency could have to bear losses around 8000-10000 Cr a year.
"In terms of overall advertising spends, these gaming companies contribute around 7-8 percent of the market. Nearly 80 percent of that will vanish, since real money gaming accounts for 75-80 percent of the overall gaming market. So that is one big impact. Roughly 7-8 percent of total ad spends and about 15-20 percent of digital ad spends will also disappear, because their share in digital advertising is higher," says Karan Taurani, executive vice-president, Elara Capital.
"This was the amount being spent on cricket and cricketers. Now, I think endorsements for cricketers will take a hit. Their brand value and income are bound to decline. While players endorse multiple products, the real money gaming segment contributed significantly to their endorsement revenue, which could drop by 20-25 percent” he further added.
Also Read: Team India in big crisis of losing jersey sponsor before Asia Cup due to Dream11 ban
