India’s Online Gaming Bill 2025
In August 2025, the Indian Parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, marking a major shift in the country’s digital entertainment landscape. The bill bans all real-money online games, which includes fantasy sports platforms like Dream11. Under the new law, financial transactions for such games are prohibited, and violators face heavy fines along with possible jail time.
This move has transformed Dream11’s future in India, adding a nationwide ban to an already complicated patchwork of state-level restrictions.
Dream11 and State-Level Bans Before 2025
Even before the new bill, Dream11 wasn’t accessible everywhere in India. Several states had already banned or restricted the platform:
| State/Territory | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | Banned | No distinction for game-of-skill formats |
| Odisha | Banned | Broad laws consider all monetized games as gambling |
| Andhra Pradesh | Banned | Recent legislative amendments |
| Telangana | Banned | Early adopter of strict prohibition |
| Nagaland | Restricted (licensed) | Licensing and compliance burdens high |
| Sikkim | Restricted (licensed) | Intranet-only operation |
| Tamil Nadu | Regulated (time-restricted) | Ban from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.; Aadhaar KYC required |
| Meghalaya* | Possibly restricted | Sources vary |
This meant that long before 2025, users in many regions couldn’t legally access paid Dream11 contests.
What the 2025 Bill Changes
With the Online Gaming Bill coming into force, Dream11 faces a nationwide suspension of all paid contests. The law overrides state-specific rules, creating a uniform ban across India. Key changes include:
- Dream11 can no longer host paid fantasy sports contests anywhere in the country.
- Other platforms like MPL, My11Circle, and similar fantasy apps are also affected.
- A new National Online Gaming Commission will oversee regulation, licensing, and classification of games in the future.
- While money-based contests are banned, the government has clearly distinguished esports and free-to-play games, which remain legal and are actively encouraged.
Impact on Players and the Industry
The ban has wide-reaching effects:
- Players – Millions of fantasy sports enthusiasts across India have lost access to real-money contests, even in states where it was previously allowed.
- Companies – Platforms like Dream11 lose their main source of revenue, as paid contests contributed to the bulk of earnings.
- Market shift – With real-money fantasy gaming banned, companies may pivot toward esports, free-to-play contests, or sports content platforms.
Conclusion
Dream11, once India’s leading fantasy sports platform, now faces its toughest challenge yet. The 2025 Online Gaming Bill has erased the difference between banned and permitted states, placing a blanket ban on real-money gaming nationwide.
While this marks the end of an era for fantasy sports as we know it, it also signals the beginning of a new chapter one where esports, gaming content, and non-monetized skill-based games could take center stage.
