Advertising and marketing spending by the gaming industry, estimated to be around $2 billion (more than Rs 17,000 crore) annually, is expected to come to a grinding halt as the government moves forward with legislation to prohibit online games with a monetary component.
Additionally, the potential of increasing oversight and possible penalties over endorsing real-money games have prompted talent management teams of Bollywood actors and sportspeople to instruct media buying representatives “to either reduce or take down ads” featuring their clients “for the time being at least”, especially on high-visibility social media platforms, said people aware of the matter.
People with direct knowledge of the matter said fantasy sports platform Dream11’s three-year sponsorship deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also come under a cloud following the government’s legislative proposal.
“The real-money gaming sector alone spends close to $700 million each year on performance marketing across digital platforms. When you add brand spends on television, digital, and offline campaigns, along with creative production and celebrity endorsements, the total annual spending on advertising and marketing is estimated to be around $2 billion,” said Siddharth Jhawar, country manager-India at digital marketing platform Moloco, which works with large gaming companies on performance marketing. “If this law goes through, that entire spend could vanish overnight,” he said.
So far, flush with funding, Dream11 and other fantasy cricket gaming platforms such as Mobile Premier League, WinZo and RummyCircle have associated themselves with prominent actors and cricketers by way of endorsement deals.
Industry executives pointed out that a bulk of advertising spending by real-money gaming companies happens during cricket tournaments such as the Indian Premier League or ICC competitions like the Champions Trophy or the World Cup.
While Ranbir Kapoor and Aamir Khan have been associated with Dream11, MS Dhoni endorses WinZo, and Hrithik Roshan promotes RummyCircle. India’s men’s test cricket team captain Shubman Gill and former India captain Sourav Ganguly endorse Games 24×7’s My11Circle.
“Till the time the category is under the lens, these celebrities are risk-averse and don’t want to compromise on their public image. Since the endorsement fees are huge, none of them want to exit their contracts, at least till there is no clarity on whether the apps will be fully banned,” one of the executives said.
Emails sent to Mobile Premier League, WinZo and Games 24×7 remained unanswered at press time Wednesday. Dream11 declined to comment.
On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, through which the government has proposed a blanket ban on real-money online games, citing addiction and financial exploitation.
According to the proposal by the Centre, people associated with advertising or endorsing such platforms could face up to two years in jail along with a Rs 50 lakh fine.
“It’s possible that some celebrities would choose to end their association with such platforms given the scrutiny, but we have seen that unless explicitly disallowed legally, celebrities in India do not shy away from endorsement opportunities. The decision is eventually taken based on their own risk appetites and the legal advice given to them,” said Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer of the Advertising Standards Council of India.
Before the new law kicks in, the existing framework allows real-money gaming platforms to advertise with disclaimers.
