Online Gaming Bill 2025: BCCI secy Saikia weighs in on new bill – ‘We will only do what’s allowed under Indian regulation’ | Cricket News

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia

MUMBAI: Ever for the reason that authorities has launched its new on-line gaming bill, particularly the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025’, there are fears that India’s cricket business’s income may very well be badly hit. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, particularly, has motive to be apprehensive as two distinguished gaming corporations – Dream11 and My11Circle are its key sponsors. While Dream11 is the title sponsor of Team India, My11Circle holds the fantasy gaming rights for the IPL for the following three years. The BCCI, nevertheless, has made it abundantly clear that it will abide by the regulation of the land.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“The act has just been discussed in the Lok Sabha today and the Rajya Sabha yesterday. It would then take a final shape, go through Presidential assent, and then there will be a ‘date of appointment.’ We will then read it, and then only we will take a call on whatever is there. The BCCI will not do anything which is not permitted by the government or by any law of the country. The BCCI will not violate any of the laws enforced in the country. That’s very clear,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia informed TOI on Thursday.

Explaining the BCCI’s future plan of action, Saikia mentioned, “Once the act comes into force, we will look into it, examine it and if it’s permissible, then we will take sponsorship (from online betting and gaming companies), if it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything. Take the example of cigarettes and liquor. Has the BCCI taken any sponsorship from the cigarettes and liquor companies once taking sponsorship from these kinds of companies was banned? So, whatever is permissible in the laws in force in our country, we will do that only.““The BCCI will follow every policy of the country which is framed by the central government,” asserted the BCCI secretary.

The BCCI has “welcomed” the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports popping out with a coverage (tips) on Thursday which declared that India and Pakistan will not have any bilateral sporting ties even on impartial venues as per an unprecedented new coverage however the cricket group will not be stopped from taking part in the Asia Cup subsequent month as it’s a multilateral engagement. The coverage will allow Team India to compete in the T20 Asia Cup in UAE subsequent month, regardless of the rising clamour for boycott and withdrawal from the match. India are purported to play Pakistan at the least twice in the match – on Sept 14 in the league stage and on Sept 21, in the Super Four stage. India will not host or go to pakistan for bilateral contests, however their athletes and groups can participate in multi-nation occasions that additionally contain Pakistan, clearing the trail for his or her upcoming fixtures in the boys’s Asia Cup in September and the ladies’s ODI World Cup in October (India will play Pakistan in Colombo on Oct 5). Pakistan’s sportspersons may take part in multilateral occasions hosted by India, but it surely’s not clear if India’s athletes can go to Pakistan for comparable sporting occasions.“Today, the central government has come out with a policy on international sporting events. We welcome this. This will put to rest all the campaigns against India participating in the Asia Cup. The BCCI is doing this (participating in the Asia Cup) as per the central government’s policy. The central government has taken the interest of the players, the teams and also, the events that are going to be hosted by our country in the future. So, all these things are very nicely taken by the government of India and we fully endorse the view expressed by the central government and we will 100% abide by the policy framed by the central government,” Saikia informed this paper. “The BCCI will not go a single inch against the government’s policy. We will fully abide by all policies of the central government, whether it is participating in an international sporting event or regarding sponsorship. We will follow everything in true letter and spirit,” the Indian Board secretary asserted earlier than signing off.