BCCI invites bids for Indian cricket's title sponsor after Dream11's pullout; sets clear guidelines

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited bids for the Indian cricket team's title sponsorship after Dream11's withdrawal due to the government's ban on real money gaming. The board has explicitly banned companies involved in real money gaming and cryptocurrency from participating in the bidding process, which comes after Dream11's recent closure of its real money games following the implementation of the 'Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025'.Dream11 and My11Circle had been significant contributors to Indian cricket, jointly providing approximately Rs 1,000 crore through title sponsorship of both the national team and the Indian Premier League.The BCCI has set clear guidelines for potential bidders in its press release: "Bidder, including any of its Group companies: (i) should not be engaged in online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services in India or anywhere in the world; (ii) should not provide any online money gaming, betting or gambling services or similar services to any Person in India; and (iii) should not have any investment or ownership interest in any Person engaged in betting or gambling services in India."The board has established September 12 as the deadline for purchasing the IEOI, with bid document submissions due by September 16.The BCCI further clarified: "To clarify, a bidder, including any of its Group companies, engaged in any activities/business that is prohibited under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 is not permitted to submit a bid."The board has also excluded companies dealing in tobacco, alcohol, and content that could "offend public morals" from the bidding process.Several brand categories are blocked due to existing BCCI sponsorships, including athleisure and sportswear manufacturers, banking and financial services, non-alcoholic cold beverages, fans, mixer grinders, safety locks, and insurance.Current BCCI partners in these categories include Adidas, Campa Cola, IDFC First Bank, and SBI Life.The board has specifically addressed multiple brand operations: "Bidder operating or engaged in multiple brand/product categories, one of which falls under either the Blocked Brand Categories or Prohibited Brand Categories, shall not be permitted to submit a bid in respect of such Blocked Brand Categories or Prohibited Brand Categories."The BCCI has also prohibited surrogate branding: "Bidders are prohibited from submitting bids through surrogate brands. Surrogate branding refers to any attempt to indirectly submit a bid on behalf of a different entity or Person through the use of a different entity or person. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of different names, brands, identity or logos."Financial eligibility criteria require bidders to have either an average turnover or net worth of at least Rs 300 crore over the last three years.The BCCI maintains the right to modify or cancel the IEOI process at any stage without explanation.Dream11 had previously secured the rights for USD 44 million (Rs 358 crore) for 2023-2026 but is exiting early with approximately one year remaining.A senior BCCI official, speaking anonymously to PTI, explained: "The BCCI fully understands one of our sponsorship partner's plight. It is not their fault and unlike other issues of payment default, there won't be any penalty levied on Dream11. This is a government rule and full compliance is required and in the current scenario, there business will be impacted."