European Cricket hit by the introduction of India's controversial gambling bill
European Cricket abruptly halts coverage following the development of the new gambling bill, which was recently cleared by the Indian government.
The tremors of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill (2025) are being felt by fantasy sports apps and their stakeholders. In an effort to curb gambling and to shield India's thriving youth from its negative impact, the Indian government passed the new gambling bill. This new bill forbids anyone from playing RMG (real money gambling games) such as Poker, Rummi, Teenpatti, and fantasy app games like Dream11 & My11Circle. Moreover, endorsing such brands via any form of advertisement can also attract harsh fines and arduous labour behind bars.
The introduction of this new bill has taken Dream11, India's official title sponsor, by storm. Not only does it have to sever ties with the BCCI, but it also has to cope with an additional blow on the international stage. It is believed that Dream11 is in talks to end sponsorship with European Cricket (ECN) due to the new law, which bans online money gaming. Although the introduction of the new bill may not have a direct impact on ECN, the withdrawal of their key sponsor, Dream11, will plunge the league into an unprecedented state of financial uncertainty.
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Examining the Bill's Impact: Unpacking the Consequences for ECN
As briefly explained above, the ECN has not been directly impacted by this latest legislation from the Indian government, but its stakeholders have. Their most crucial stakeholder, Dream11, has come under heavy scrutiny under this new gambling bill, which outlaws all forms of gambling/betting. As a result, Dream11, whose main USP primarily revolves around gambling, has to shut down or change its mode of business overnight to stay competitive in the market.
This development will have a direct consequence on ECN as it will no longer be entitled to receive a galloping chunk of funds, which it happily used to receive from Dream11. This can, in turn, affect the quality of the game in Europe, a place where the game is trying to attain a solid foothold. Moreover, the Associate cricketing nations from Europe also relied on funding from Dream11 for their daily survival. But in present times, their privilege has been snatched and the ECN was left with no option but to pause their coverage until further notice.
Needless to say, this shocking development has left many cricket lovers worried, including ECN's founder, Daniel Weston, who alleged that European Cricket will get dragged 20 years back in time if a new sponsor fails to step in a timely manner to fill the void. Following the exit of Dream11, the ECN is working around the clock to find an able sponsor to continue its operations, but faces the reality of drastic scaling back without immediate financial support.
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