The parliament has passed the 2025 Online Gaming bill, which not only bans the real money online games but may lead to jail and fine for the servers and the advertisers. While the service providers may face 3 years of imprisonment or a fine of INR 1 crore, the advertiser may face 2 years of jail or will have to pay INR 50 lakhs as a fine. This means all sorts of advertisements in any media have been banned for the online betting apps. One such one-of-a-kind is Dream11, a cricket betting company that is the jersey sponsor of team India. They enjoy a big deal with BCCI worth Rs 358 crore for three years, ending in March 2026 after the T20 World Cup. Dream11, valued at $8 billion, makes a lot of money from the country’s $3.8 billion gaming market. With the Online Gaming Bill coming into action, it will not only destabilize the sports market but also undergo a huge financial loss. However Indian jersey sponsors suffering financial loss is nothing new. From Star to Byjus, they all underwent hefty loss after they engaged with the Indian team. And here comes the myth, is the team jinxed? Whether the myth is believed or not is different, but facts and case studies have spoken likewise. Here are the cases of Star, Sahara, Oppo, and Byjus. Sahara India Pariwar (Jun 2001- Dec 2013) Sahara India Pariwar sparkled as the shirt sponsor of the Indian cricket team from June 2001 to December 2013, but trouble began brewing behind the scenes. In 2008, its subsidiaries, SIRECL and SHICL, raised around ₹24,000 crore from 30 million investors, drawing SEBI’s attention. The main allegations against Sahara were: Raising funds without following regulatory norms Ignoring SEBI directives and court orders Non-payment of dues with interest The courts backed SEBI, but Sahara resisted. Subrata Roy faced non-bailable warrants and was arrested, marking the start of a long legal battle that lasted years. The aftermath of the case included: Feb 2014: Roy arrested and sent to Tihar jail May 2014: Interim bail granted with ₹10,000 crore deposit condition April 2017: Auction of Aamby Valley ordered March 2023: ₹5,000 crore disbursed from SEBI-Sahara account Nov 2023: Subrata Roy passed away Aug 2024: Only ₹138.07 crore refunded to 17,256 investors out of 19,650 claims Also Read | Asia Cup 2025: India may play without jersey sponsor amid Dream11 uncertainty Star India (Jan 2014- Mar 2017) Star India was the shirt sponsor of the Indian cricket team from January 2014 to March 2017. On February 28, 2022, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) directed its Director-General to investigate Star India Private Limited and its subsidiaries following allegations by Asianet Digital Network of abuse of dominant market position. Asianet, which received broadcasting signals from Star India for monetary consideration, claimed that Star India discriminated against it and denied discounts offered to competitors. The allegations included: Denying discounts that were extended to competitors Discriminatory pricing restricting market access Violation of provisions of the Competition Act Star India challenged the CCI order in the Bombay High Court, which issued an interim stay on April 6, 2022, preventing coercive action. On September 6, 2022, the Court ruled that it would not exercise territorial jurisdiction in the matter. OPPO (May 2017- Aug 2019) In 2022, Nokia sued Oppo in the Delhi High Court for allegedly breaching a cross-licence agreement covering standard essential patents (SEPs) in 5G and other cellular technologies. On July 3, 2023, a Division Bench found a prima facie case of infringement and ordered Oppo to furnish a security payment. The Court noted multiple international rulings against Oppo: 13 global proceedings, 11 courts found infringement 5 courts deemed Oppo an unwilling licensee Oppo challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s decision In January 2024, the companies reached a settlement and the suit was withdrawn. Meanwhile, Oppo is involved in a similar dispute with US-based InterDigital Technology over SEPs for 3G, 4G, 5G, and HEVC video coding. The Delhi High Court criticised Oppo for delays on February 21, 2024, ordering pending royalty deposits and a ₹5 lakh penalty. On May 31, 2024, the Court allowed a bank guarantee instead of cash security and rejected requests to disclose agreements with Ericsson and Orange SA, allowing Oppo to continue phone sales without injunctions. Also Read | PCB Chief Contacts BCCI Over Asia Cup Sponsor and Broadcaster Issues: Reports Byju's (Sept 2019- Mar 2023) In July 2019, BCCI and Byju’s signed a shirt sponsorship deal, initially ending in 2022 but later extended to June 2023. In December 2023, BCCI approached the NCLT to initiate insolvency proceedings against Byju’s parent company, Think and Learn, for allegedly defaulting on a ₹158 crore payment. The main developments in the case were: July 2024: NCLT admitted BCCI’s plea and dismissed Byju’s bid for arbitration July 31, 2024: BCCI informed NCLAT of a repayment settlement with Byju’s August 2, 2024: NCLAT upheld the settlement after Riju Raveendran pledged personal funding However, the matter reached the Supreme Court, which on August 14 stayed the NCLAT decision after a creditor’s appeal, directing the ₹158 crore to be kept in a separate account. A week later, the Court refused to halt the Committee of Creditors (CoC) operations. On September 25–26, the Court expressed doubts over NCLAT’s review and instructed the interim resolution professional to maintain the status quo, pausing CoC meetings. Dream11 (Jul 2023- Mar 2026) Before the Online Gaming Bill and facing a potential ban as a betting app, Dream11 faced other legal and financial issues. In February 2025, NCLT Mumbai admitted an insolvency plea against Sporta Technologies, owner of Dream11, over a debt exceeding ₹7 crore. The main allegations were: Default on rent payments to Reward Solutions since December 2019 Ignoring demand notices sent in April 2021 Insolvency plea filed by Reward Solutions The NCLAT Principal Bench later stayed the proceedings, and on April 18, set aside the insolvency process, ruling the application was time-barred. Dream11 also faced a GST dispute for over ₹1,200 crore. The company argued its platform involved games of skill, not gambling. By December 6, 2023, the Maharashtra tax authorities withdrew the show-cause notice, and Dream11 subsequently withdrew its petition.