In what could be one of the biggest shake-ups in India’s fantasy gaming space, Dream Sports – the parent company of Dream11 is reportedly shutting down its Real Money Gaming (RMG) operations following the passage of the Online Gaming Bill 2025.
According to an Entrackr report, the decision was communicated to employees during an internal town hall on August 20, just a day before the Rajya Sabha approved the bill. The RMG segment, which is now set to be axed, contributes to nearly 67% of Dream Sports’ annual revenue, making this a seismic shift for the company.
Dream11 to Explore Non-RMG Ventures
Sources further revealed that Dream11 is expected to pivot towards non-real-money avenues such as Sportz Drip and Fancode, while also expanding investments in Willow TV, Cricbuzz, and overseas markets.
The firm is likely to explore new game formats tailored for global markets, following a playbook similar to MPL,” a source was quoted as saying.
However, this transition could come at a steep cost. Reports suggest that mass layoffs and severe cost-cutting measures are likely, given that a large portion of Dream Sports’ workforce was engaged in the RMG division.
What the Bill Means for Dream11 & Fantasy Apps
The Online Gaming Bill 2025, approved by the Lok Sabha on August 20 and by the Rajya Sabha a day later, seeks to ban all forms of online money games in India.
Presenting the bill, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said,
“Online money games have become a huge social problem, causing addiction and draining families’ savings. An estimated Rs 20,000 crore of middle-class earnings has been lost.”
The bill also prohibits advertisements for such games and restricts banks from processing related transactions. Violations could lead to imprisonment of up to three years or fines of up to Rs 1 crore.
Impact on Indian Cricket
The new law places the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a tricky spot. Dream11, which serves as Team India’s lead jersey sponsor, will be barred from advertising on players’ kits once the bill becomes law (pending Presidential assent).
This means India could head into the Asia Cup 2025 without a sponsor logo – an extremely rare scenario for the world’s richest cricket board.
What Lies Ahead?
With Dream11 preparing to exit the real-money gaming segment and BCCI exploring emergency sponsorship deals, India’s cricket ecosystem is bracing for a major sponsorship shake-up.
For Dream Sports, the focus now shifts to survival, diversification, and tapping into global markets. For Indian cricket, it’s a race against time to avoid an unbranded campaign in one of the sport’s biggest tournaments.
