Last Updated on 6 months ago by Charbel Coorey

The 2025 Online Gaming Bill put an end to fantasy cricket as we knew it. The bill was introduced due to the financial risk involved with players investing money to join paid contests to play fantasy sports.

“It is the duty of the government and the parliament to take strict action against social evils, which keep erupting time and again,” federal IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in parliament back in August, as quoted by Reuters.

Currently, fans can still play fantasy cricket via free contests on Dream11. The platform is offering prizes including cash and smartphones. There is the presence of third-party ads on the Dream11 app which assists in revenue-generation.

Can there be a subscription model for Dream11 and fantasy cricket under the 2025 Online Gaming Bill?

However, one prominent question is whether fantasy cricket can operate as a subscription model under the law.

Sports lawyer Vidushpat Singhania shed light on this. He said that a subscription model is permissable under 2025 Online Gaming Bill as it’s the real money gaming that has been banned.

“There will be a subscription fee and say you pay Rs 100 for a gaming app and test your skills in fantasy gaming,” Singhania told PTI earlier in 2025, as quoted by The Economic Times. “But real money gaming which is paying and earning money, that is prohibited as per this bill.”

Previously, players could invest money in as many contests for as many cricket matches as they wanted to. However, this led to addictions and financial harm, which is why the 2025 Online Gaming Bill was introduced. Dream11 shut down its real-money gaming (RMG) business as a result.

Under a prospective subscription model, fantasy cricket players can invest one set amount per month. They can then play in matches that the platform allows them to depending on their investment. Time will tell as to whether this does eventuate.