No, Dream11 is not shutting down completely but real money gaming is going to the contests that were played for money has now been shut down.
Let’s try to understand why Dream 11 is shutting down
Dream11 has shut down its real money fantasy games because the Indian government has passed a new law in August 2025, named Online Gaming Regulation Bill 2025. Under this law, all such online games where people play by investing money have been declared illegal. The government says that real money gaming leads to addiction, financial loss and gambling-like addiction, which is harmful for the society. For this reason, Dream11, which is a popular fantasy sports platform, has shut down all its paid contests – like cricket, football, kabaddi’s paid matches. But this does not mean that Dream11 has been completely shut down. Now this platform will only offer free-to-play games, where people can form a team without investing any money and enjoy with friends. Along with this, Dream11 is now focusing on its other businesses like FanCode (sports streaming), DreamSetGo (sports tourism) and international markets where real money gaming is legal. The main reason for this change is only and only the new law of India, due to which Dream11 had to change its entire model.
What is Online Gaming Regulation Bill 2025?
Under the Online Gaming Bill 2025, all online games where real money is used, that is, where people try to win by investing money, have been banned in India. The government says that such games increase gambling addiction in people, and many people waste their money, time, and mental health. Under this bill, games like fantasy sports, online poker, rummy, teen patti, and betting will now be considered illegal if they are being played with real money. The government has also made a provision to create a central regulatory authority that will give licenses to gaming companies and monitor which games are legal and which are not. If a company runs paid games without a license, it can face a heavy fine (up to ₹50 lakh) and jail (up to 3 years). It is also written in this bill that companies will have to protect user data, and underage (younger than 18) users will have to be kept away from such games.
impact of bill
Platforms like Dream11, MPL, My11Circle have stopped paying games. now these platforms are only offering free-to-play or social gaming. real money gaming is only going on in those countries where it is legal not in India.
Benefits of this new law
The biggest advantage of banning real money gaming is that it will stop the financial loss of people, especially students, unemployed youth and middle-class families. Many people get into the habit of gambling by investing money on apps like fantasy games, online rummy, poker or teen patti. Sometimes people even spend their savings, loan money or house expenses, which later becomes the reason for mental stress and family problems. After this ban, underage users (younger than 18 years) will also be kept away from such addictive games. The government also feels that this step will control illegal betting, black money and tax evasion. Overall, this decision is considered correct from the point of view of social welfare and public health.
Disadvantages of this rule
While there are benefits on one hand there are some economic and employment related losses on the other hand. Thousands of people were employed in the real money gaming industry like game developers, marketers, customer support, finance teams, etc. Now that this industry is shutting down, there is a possibility of mass layoffs. Apart from this, the government will also not get the GST (Goods & Services Tax) revenue from this sector which used to be in crores of rupees every month. For the users who played responsibly, it was also a source of entertainment and earning that too is over now. Many Indian startups, which were competing globally, will now either have to shut down or shift out of India. This will also have a negative impact on the startup ecosystem.
| Point | Benefit | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Impact | People will stop losing money | Revenue of companies and government will decrease |
| Mental Health | Addiction will decrease | Entertainment will end for responsible gamers |
| Youth Protection | Underage users will be safe | Job opportunities for youth will decrease |
| Legal System | Illegal betting will be controlled | Startups and innovation will be braked |
Discover more from The trendy info
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
