Online Gaming Act: BCCI on the back foot, mulling other sponsorship options

The faces of the likes of Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni or several past masters appearing in promotions for fantasy sports sites have often raised questions in the recent past. However, it may be time for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) — involved in two deals worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore by way of sponsorship, with two of the biggest players in this market — to rethink its stance on this, in light of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill proposed earlier this week and passed by both Houses of Parliament yesterday, 21 August.

This legislation seeks to ban the business of online gaming for money. Meanwhile, official figures say that the BCCI has a five-year (2024–28, Rs 625 crore agreement with My 11 Circle for fantasy gaming rights for the IPL and a Rs 358 crore deal with Dream XI for sponsorship of the Indian cricket teams for the 2023–25 cycle.

Putting on a brave face, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the BCCI was ready to look at a Plan B or C should the new Act require it. “There have been instances in the past when the board had to discontinue sponsorships from tobacco companies as per the rules of the country. The government must have taken the decision with due diligence and we will comply with whatever they say,” Saikia said.

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However, recent experience says that with the BCCI having outpriced itself from the market for potential sponsors — even for high-profile products — for the Indian cricket team and the money-spinning IPL, the online money gaming companies stepped in to provide huge visibility.

Speaking to National Herald over the phone, Saikia said: “There will always be takers for Indian cricket. However, we are now waiting for the act to come into force and [to] look at the fine print — if status quo is not possible, then we will have to look for other options.”

Notwithstanding Saikia’s assurance, there is a perception that the decision-makers at the BCCI will be on tenterhooks over whether Suryakumar Yadav and his men get to wear the conspicuous Dream 11 logos on their shirts for their next assignment — the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. There are also unconfirmed reports that the Men in Blue may opt to step onto the pitch without the logos for the time being.

Incidentally, Dream 11 had replaced cash-strapped edu tech giant Byju’s as Team India’s jersey sponsor in 2023, entering into a three-year deal. With the ban looming, the buzz is that the BCCI is expected to court interest from major corporates instead — including Tata, who are the title sponsors of the IPL, Jio, Adani and even new-generation brands such as Zerodha.

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Many feel that the board may well attempt to delay the presidential assent until the conclusion of the upcoming Asia Cup, with its final on 28 September, to give Team India time to play under the existing contract and secure a new sponsor.

The BCCI have only recently managed to evade being caught in the net of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in the newly passed National Sports Governance Act, on the grounds that they don’t take any financial assistance from the sports ministry.

The new act for regulating (read: controlling) online gaming, however, comes with serious implications, with the concern around incidents of fantasy games driving youths towards gambling and self-destruction driving the popular narrative. So the BCCI may not have much room to wait and watch!