The Supreme Court’s latest proceedings on India’s real-money gaming (RMG) ban have kept the sector’s legal battle alive, but for Indian cricket, the commercial consequences are already being felt.
The court is now moving towards final hearings on constitutional challenges to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA), which introduced a nationwide prohibition on online money games. The development comes after the Supreme Court’s May 27 rulings upholding the 28% GST on the full face value of bets, including its retrospective application.
The gaming industry’s legal challenge now centres on whether the blanket prohibition is constitutionally valid, while cricket and other sports are having to adjust to the sudden disappearance of one of their biggest advertising and sponsorship categories.
Supreme Court moves RMG challenge towards final hearing
On August 5, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed parties, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing the Centre, to complete their pleadings.
The petitions challenge the constitutional validity of PROGA, with gaming companies arguing that an absolute ban violates Article 19(1)(g), which protects the right to practise a lawful trade or profession.
One of the industry’s central arguments is that the legislation has effectively erased the distinction between skill-based games and games of chance.
Operators including Head Digital Works, which runs A23 Rummy, have described the impact of the legislation as a “civil death” for the sector.
The court’s eventual decision could therefore determine whether India’s real-money gaming industry has any route back into the regulated market or whether the current prohibition becomes the sector’s new reality.
Why cricket is particularly exposed
The consequences extend far beyond gaming companies.
For years, fantasy sports and other RMG platforms became deeply embedded in Indian cricket’s commercial ecosystem. Their spending stretched from national-team sponsorships and IPL partnerships to television advertising and individual player endorsements.
Dream11 and My11Circle alone were reported to have contributed roughly ₹1,000 crore through major BCCI sponsorship agreements. Dream11’s national team jersey partnership was valued at ₹358 crore for the 2023-26 cycle, while My11Circle signed a five-year deal worth ₹625 crore.
The advertising footprint was even larger.
RMG companies were estimated to account for 18-20% of IPL advertising spend at their peak, with annual sports advertising expenditure from the sector estimated at more than ₹4,500 crore.
That money did not simply benefit gaming platforms. It flowed through broadcasters, franchises, sports media, players and the wider advertising ecosystem.
With those companies now unable to operate their previous business models, cricket has had to find replacement commercial partners.
The sponsorship gap is already visible
The most immediate casualty has been sponsorship.
The BCCI had to end its Dream11 jersey partnership following the ban, creating a commercial gap in the middle of the sponsorship cycle.
IPL franchises have also been affected because fantasy gaming companies were among the most aggressive bidders for prominent sponsorship positions.
The loss is particularly significant because RMG brands were willing to spend heavily for visibility during India’s biggest sporting property. Their absence has forced teams and the league ecosystem to look towards more traditional sectors such as automobiles, insurance, fintech, e-commerce and FMCG.
The BCCI has managed to soften the immediate impact by securing replacement commercial partnerships, but the broader market has lost a major source of competition for sports inventory.
Broadcasters face another problem
The impact does not stop with sponsorship.
Broadcasters built their IPL advertising models around the presence of gaming companies that bought substantial television and digital inventory.
Industry estimates cited in the material put the loss of IPL-linked RMG advertising at between ₹1,500 crore and ₹2,000 crore annually.
That creates a difficult equation for broadcasters that have paid enormous sums for sports rights. With one of the most lucrative advertising categories removed, they must replace both the volume and pricing power that RMG companies brought to the market.
For cricket, this could ultimately mean a more diversified sponsorship base. In the short term, however, it means adjusting to a marketplace where one of its biggest commercial sectors has disappeared.
Players have also lost a major endorsement category
Indian cricketers were among the most visible faces of fantasy gaming.
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, among other prominent names, had been closely associated with fantasy sports advertising. The ban has consequently removed a significant category from player endorsement portfolios.
The effect is potentially more pronounced for domestic players and retired cricketers who relied on smaller gaming companies for secondary endorsement income.
With active promotion of RMG platforms no longer available, players and their agencies are being pushed towards more conventional consumer brands.
Smaller sports face a bigger problem
Cricket has the financial strength to absorb a commercial shock of this magnitude. India’s other sports leagues have considerably less room for manoeuvre.
The Pro Kabaddi League, Indian Super League and Prime Volleyball League have all had significant exposure to fantasy gaming sponsorship.
For smaller leagues, the issue is not simply losing a logo from a jersey. RMG money could contribute towards team operations, production, travel, facilities and other costs.
That makes the disappearance of these sponsors particularly consequential for competitions operating with much thinner margins than cricket.
The impact becomes even more severe lower down the sporting pyramid, where tournaments and digital sports properties may have depended disproportionately on gaming companies to fund production and prize pools.
The next battle is about what replaces RMG
The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling will determine the legal future of India’s real-money gaming industry, but the sports industry cannot simply wait for the verdict.
The commercial market is already moving.
Gaming companies are being pushed towards free-to-play products, subscriptions, digital goods and other non-monetised models. At the same time, sports properties are looking towards sectors such as fintech, automobiles, insurance, e-commerce and FMCG to replace lost gaming revenue.
The transition will not be uniform.
For the BCCI and the IPL, the RMG ban represents a significant commercial setback but one that their enormous audience and institutional strength can help absorb. For smaller leagues and emerging sports, replacing gaming money could be considerably harder.
The bigger question, therefore, is no longer simply whether fantasy gaming returns.
It is whether Indian sport can build a sustainable commercial ecosystem without relying so heavily on real-money gaming.
Until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict on PROGA, that question will remain both a legal and a sporting one.
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