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'Not just heartbreaking, but deeply unjust': Dream11 ex VP on the Online Gaming Bill
Smrita Singh Chandra, who spent nine years building the fantasy sports platform into a household name, said she was writing with a "heavy heart" after the government's sweeping ban on real-money online gaming (RMG).
The Indian government has officially passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, marking a watershed moment for the country's digital entertainment landscape.
Introduced by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the legislation lays out a dual-purpose framework: while encouraging the growth of e-sports and educational gaming, it imposes a blanket ban on all forms of real-money online gaming (RMG) - regardless of whether they are skill-based or chance-based.
The move has sent shockwaves across India's gaming ecosystem - none more evident than in a powerful post by Smrita Singh Chandra, former Vice President of Policy Communications at Dream11.
Chandra, who spent nine years building the fantasy sports platform into a household name, said she was writing with a "heavy heart" after the government's sweeping ban on real-money online gaming (RMG), which outlaws platforms like Dream11 overnight.
"A Vibrant Industry Criminalized"
Chandra described the move as "deeply unjust," stressing that fantasy sports had grown "brick by brick, regulation by regulation, court order by court order," with Dream11 always ensuring compliance and ethical conduct. "Declaring a platform illegal after years of validation, taxation, and judicial recognition isn't just wrong - it is deeply unethical," she wrote.
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She argued that the government failed to recognized the difference between fantasy sports and gambling, despite multiple High Court and Supreme Court judgments affirming that fantasy sports involve skill, not chance.
The Economic Fallout
Chandra also warned of the broader economic impact. India's fantasy sports market is valued at USD 1.82 million in 2025 and projected to growth to USD 5.05 billion by 2030 (CAGR 22.6%), she said. That growth represented not just business revenues but also jobs, livelihoods, sports innovation, and digital fan engagement.
Her post argued that by criminalizing the sector, the government risks "undoing years of progress and harming millions of users, partners, employees, and the broader Indian sports ecosystem."
A Call for Dialogue
Chandra, who signed off her note as a “proud ex-Dreamster,” urged policymakers to recognize the difference between fantasy sports and gambling and called for fairness, dialogue, and an ecosystem that fosters innovation rather than penalizes it.
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