Wanted: India’s sponsor after Dream11 pull-out, bids open

new delhi: The BCCI on Tuesday invited bids for the Indian cricket team’s title sponsorship rights after fantasy sports giants Dream11’s pullout and barred companies dealing in real money gaming and cryptocurrency from the process due to a government ban on such entities.

The Indian team will be without a title sponsor in the Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE as the Board has set September 16 as the last date to submit bids. Dream 11 recently shut down its real money games due to the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025’, which states that “no person shall offer any, aid, abet, induce, indulge, engage in offering online money gaming services nor shall involve in any advertisement which directly or indirectly promotes any person to play any online money game”. Dream 11 and My11Circle jointly contributed about Rs 1,000 crore to the BCCI through title sponsorship of the Indian cricket team and Indian Premier League.

“Bidder, including any of its Group companies: (i) should not be engaged in online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services in India or anywhere in the world; (ii) should not provide any online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services to any Person in India; and (iii) should not have any investment or ownership interest in any Person engaged in betting or gambling services in India,” stated BCCI. The last date for the purchase the Invitation for Expression of Interest (IEOI), which will cost Rs 5 lakh, is September 12. Also barred from applying are tobacco, alcohol and any entity “which is likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to,

pornography”.