CEO, Evluate | Helping US CEOs cut time-to-hire & hiring cost with AI assessments, enterprise SaaS for predictable technical hires
Dream11, India’s largest fantasy sports app, is shutting down its real-money gaming arm after the Online Gaming Bill 2025. 🔖280M users | 12 sports | ₹9,600 Cr revenue | 12,000+ events yearly From 2M users in 2016 to 280M in 2025, Dream11 transformed how India engaged with sports, especially in Tier 3 & 4 cities. The shift to a free-to-play model sparks bigger questions: ➡️ How will gaming platforms drive engagement without money at stake? ➡️ What new opportunities will emerge in skill-based & gamified experiences? Sometimes, an ending is the start of a new chapter. #Dream11 #GamingIndustry #OnlineGaming #FantasySports #SportsTech #DigitalIndia #GamingEcosystem #indore #Startups #innovation #games
Anurag Agarwal with all due respect, beg to differ, The bigger issue here isn’t just revenue loss. Government data shows ₹20,000 crore vanishes every year in real-money gaming, with 45 crore Indians playing. Most of the damage hits poor families who can least afford it, and young minds who fall into addiction. Look at China—whatever we think of them, they channel their youth into tech, AI, and innovation. That’s how they became a global tech giant. Meanwhile, too many of our youngsters are burning time and money on betting apps and endless reels. This shutdown isn’t just policy—it’s a chance to rethink how we protect families and redirect our next generation’s energy toward building, not betting.
The shutdown of Dream11’s RMG arm isn’t collapse. it’s correction. India’s 280M fantasy gamers won’t vanish, they’ll migrate to models that reward skill, community, and cultural identity. Regulation hasn’t ended the game, it’s opened the door for the world’s first post-money gaming ecosystem. The real winners will be platforms that design for retention, not just transactions.
I happy its banned killed many lives - there is no skill in algoritm makes to win the gamble company
“Dream11 brought cricket, football, kabaddi, basketball, hockey and more into the hands of millions” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dream 11 is now is Dream Money!
Student at Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies
6d"how will gaming platforms drive engagement without money at stake" isnt the right question and proves the point that gambling should never be associated with the term "online gaming"