Finish of the Game? Dream11 prepares to close real-money gaming arm after Online Gaming Bill

At India’s largest fantasy sports activities platform Dream11, it’s the tip of an period. Sources instructed CNBC-TV18 that the corporate is making ready to close down its real-money gaming arm, after Parliament cleared the brand new Online Gaming Bill that imposes a blanket ban on all real-money video games.

According to sources, in an inside communication, Dream Sports CEO Harsh Jain reportedly instructed staff there isn’t a authorized pathway to proceed operations as soon as the legislation takes impact. Both on-roll and contractual workers have been briefed on a transition plan, with the corporate now set to pivot towards its different verticals — FanCode, DreamSetGo, and Dream Game Studios.

Existential disaster for dream sports activities

The improvement marks a close to existential disaster for Dream Sports, on condition that over 90% of its revenues traditionally come from Dream11’s paid fantasy contests. Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream11 has dominated India’s fantasy sports activities market with greater than 280 million registered customers.

In FY24 alone, the platform clocked revenues of over ₹9,600 crore, pushed by document engagement through the males’s cricket World Cup. But verticals like FanCode and DreamSetGo stay a lot smaller contributors, underscoring how deeply the brand new ban cuts into Dream Sports’ core enterprise.

Dream Sports is backed by ChyrsCap, Multiples, TCV, Tiger Global and was final valued at $8 billion in 2021. Dream11 noticed a meteoric rise and had deep cricket partnerships — from IPL title sponsorship to Team India tie-ups. But now, the group faces its hardest innings but.

Industry stakeholders are awaiting readability on three important fronts:

• Transition Period: How a lot time corporations will get earlier than the ban is enforced.
• User Funds: Mechanism for refunding deposits at present held in escrow accounts.
• Oversight Authority: Whether a regulator will information the shutdown and allow pivots into esports or social gaming fashions.

Until then, the way forward for India’s largest fantasy sports activities platform and its tens of millions of customers hangs within the stability.

Also Read: Online Gaming Bill 2025: A checkmate transfer in opposition to actual cash gaming