The Indian government’s ban on real-money gaming through the newly introduced Online Gaming Bill could well go down as one of the most consequential economic moves in cricket’s history.
The ripple effect is expected to touch every corner of the cricketing ecosystem -- from the sport’s biggest names to the fledgling leagues across the world that had thrived on the backing of gaming companies.
Dream11’s poster boy, Rohit Sharma pocketed close to Rs 6–7 crore annually, while Virat Kohli reportedly earned Rs 10–12 crore via MPL. With Dream11 pulling out of its sponsorship of the Indian jersey, the financial implications for the IPL and other tournaments are bound to be significant.
According to Cricbuzz, Indian cricketers could collectively be staring at losses of around Rs 150–200 crore in endorsements. The biggest blow, however, will be felt by young players and mid-tier stars who relied heavily on these tie-ups.
“For some other players, it effectively wipes out their entire endorsement income as these companies were the only brands on their roster,” explains the Cricbuzz report, also citing the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Washington Sundar, for whom this represents a loss of a third of their endorsements.
The impact is being felt beyond Indian shores too. The European Cricket Network, which was heavily bankrolled by gaming sponsors, has already suspended operations. Unlike the IPL -- which has the muscle to absorb the revenue gap -- smaller tournaments may simply not survive.
The ban is also set to hit the digital ad market, where gaming companies account for 7–8% of spends, valued at nearly Rs 8,000–10,000 crore annually.
As Elara Capital’s Karan Taurani points out, the fallout could see brand values and endorsement deals for cricketers fall by 20–25%, spelling trouble not just for veteran stars but also for the next generation of talent.