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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— European Cricket (@EuropeanCricket) August 24, 2025

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.

Cricket is set to make a comeback at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. It was last included in the Olympics back in 1900. The first-ever India House at the Paris Olympics will celebrate this milestone with a special panel discussion called ‘Cricket at the Olympics – Dawn of a New Era.’

Organized by Dream Sports, the event will take place on the evening of July 28 at India House, located at Parc de La Villette. India House, the country’s first official presence at the Olympics, was created by the Reliance Foundation in partnership with the Indian Olympic Association.

The vision for Cricket’s global growth and diversity

The panel will include Geoff Allardice, CEO of the International Cricket Council, cricket legend Rahul Dravid, and Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Dream Sports.

Geoff Allardice, CEO of the International Cricket Council, said, “We continue to focus on the development of cricket across the world, bringing in more fans to the game, opportunities for players to compete at the highest level and now taking cricket to the Olympic stakeholders. The inclusion of cricket in the Olympics marks an important step and we look forward to Paris 2024, as an added impetus to the journey.”

Harsh Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Dream Sports, said, “Dream Sports and Dream11’s mission is to ‘Make Sports Better’ by providing world-class fan engagement experiences. We are very excited to have the world’s second-largest spectator sport finally included in the next Olympics. This is sure to take the Olympics’ global viewership to an all-time high and encourage more countries to develop cricket programs, promoting the sport’s growth and diversity.”

Dream Sports role in enhancing cricket’s Olympic journey

Cricket and Dream11 have a close relationship, and having cricket in the 2028 Olympics is a big achievement. It will push more countries to start cricket programs, helping the sport grow and become more diverse.

The panel discussion will explore the inclusion of cricket in the LA 2028 Olympics, the growth and opportunities for cricket in both established and new markets, and the worldwide passion of cricket fans.