A week after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 received Presidential assent, much of the global cricket industry finds itself facing an uncertain future. The bill’s impact on India’s numerous regional T20 leagues is still unfolding, though the consequences are expected to be significant, given the heavy reliance of these tournaments on sponsorship from fantasy sports platforms.
Among the hardest hit is the European Cricket Network (ECN). Organising cricket tournaments across 26 European countries for the better part of the last decade, ECN has had a role to play in cricket’s development and promulgation in non-cricketing nations, having disbursed £4 million to various European cricket boards since its inception.
But with the new law enforcing a blanket ban on real-money games, ECN’s future hangs in the balance. Much of its financial support came from Dream11, which not only sponsored its competitions but also helped connect ECN to Indian audiences.
Speaking with The Quint, Daniel Weston, founder of ECN, stated that the move will push the game back by 20 years.
The ban on fantasy cricket is devastating for the future of the game at every level worldwide. Fantasy sports have provided unmatched financial support to help grow cricket, especially in associate nations, creating opportunities for both men and women. More importantly, fantasy cricket has been the single most powerful tool to engage fans and promote the sport globally. It is a very sad moment for cricketers, cricket fans, and the children of cricketers all over the world, who will now likely not grow up in a world that is developing cricket outside of the big three. Without fantasy cricket, the game risks being pushed back 20 years—and it may never regain that momentum.Daniel Weston, founder of European Cricket Network
As for future pathways, he has acknowledged that there might not be any.
Since 2019, it has been incredible honour with pride to wake up each day with a clear focus on growing cricket for the next generation and beyond. Our vision was to make cricket the number one bat-and-ball team sport in Europe. Now, those hopes feel shattered. I dearly hope parents across the emerging cricket world still grab a bat and ball and enjoy the game in their gardens, because that may soon be the only place it survives — but I fear the future pathways beyond could vanish.Daniel Weston, founder of European Cricket Network
No Layoffs at Dream11
The crisis extends to Dream11, India’s biggest fantasy sports company, which has reported a staggering 95% revenue loss.
A company spokesperson told The Quint:
Dream11 has always followed and will continue to follow the law — in letter and spirit. While this change in law has resulted in a loss of approximately 95% of our group’s revenue, we remain committed to building a great Indian sports company, driven by AI and the creator economy. We will sharpen our focus on scaling our other Dream Sports portfolio companies, namely FanCode, DreamSetGo, Dream Game Studios, and Dream Money, as part of our mission to ‘Make Sports Better’. We are deeply grateful for the continued support of our users, partners, media and the wider ecosystem, and remain committed to navigating through these tough times.Dream11 spokesperson
Importantly, it has promised not to lay off employees:
Rebuilding our business from the ground up will require the collective strength of our people. As a talent-first organisation, we will not lay off any of our employees.Dream11 spokesperson
Flutter Halts Operations in India
Others have not been as fortunate. Flutter Entertainment, the global betting giant, has halted operations of its Indian subsidiary Junglee Games, which ran the fantasy platform Howzat. Flutter CEO Peter Jackson said he was “extremely disappointed” with the sudden regulatory change.
I am extremely disappointed with the sudden changes to the regulatory landscape in India. Over the last four years Junglee has invested significantly in its local market, building a workforce of over 1,100 employees to deliver innovative skill-based gaming products to Indian customers. Central to this has been a strategy which prioritizes consumer protections and responsible gaming. We believe this change will drive customers to the unregulated market, offering limited consumer protections and providing no contribution to the local economy. We believe in regulatory frameworks that put customers first, and are evaluating options to restore skill-based games in the Indian market.Peter Jackson, CEO of Flutter
Meanwhile, Mobile Premier League (MPL) has reportedly laid off 300 of its 500 employees, according to Reuters. The organisation's spokespersons were not available for a comment on the same.
Widespread Disruption
About 77% of the online gaming sector’s revenue stemmed from real money games, in the likes of fantasy sports, poker and rummy. According to a report by EY-FICCI, eal-money gaming platforms collectively brought in nearly US$2.7 billion in 2024, that is, approximately Rs 22,400 crore.
Government coffers also benefitted significantly. Following the GST hike to 28%, collections from real-money gaming saw a 412% spike for the period of October 2023 to March 2024 (Rs 6,909 crore), vis-à-vis Rs 1,349 crore in the prior six-month period. It has also been estimated that the real-money gaming sector contributes roughly ₹20,000–25,000 crore annually in direct and indirect taxes.
The government, though, has argued that the addictive nature of real-money gaming posed grave risks, particularly for young people, often leading to financial ruin and even bankruptcy.
In a statement, the Press Information Bureau noted:
The rapid spread of online money games has created serious risks for individuals, families and the nation. While digital technology has brought many benefits, these games have exploited loopholes in the law and caused deep social harm. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that according to an estimate, 45 crore people are negatively affected by online money games and faced a loss of more than Rs. 20,000 crores because of it. The Government has acted to close these gaps and protect citizens.PIB, Government of India
(This is a developing story).