Is Dream11 fantasy cricket considered gambling?

Opinion: Is Dream11 considered gambling? | A look at whether Dream11 is considered gambling and the effects the app can have

Dream11 has taken the sporting and economic world by storm. Launched in 2008, Dream11 now has over 200+ million users playing fantasy sports across a number of different disciplines, with the main one being cricket. The platform has changed the way fans watch and interact with cricket, with every delivery garnering even more importance given the financial and psychological investment involved.

Dream11 Sports, of which Dream11 is a part of, had its first real growth spurt in 2017, where they reached 57 lakh users (an increase of 42 lakh from the previous year). They went past the 1 crore mark in 2018 (1.7 crore users), increasing further to 5.4 crore users in 2019 and then exploding to 11 crore users during the pandemic in 2020.

The number of users has since doubled to 22 crore in 2023.

With its growth has come the debate as to whether Dream11 is gambling. It is well known that gambling is illegal in India, but an Indian High Court ruled the game as one of skill rather than wagering and gambling. The court “held that ‘the element of skill’ had a predominant influence on the outcome of the Dream11 game, which follows the following format:

Participants have to choose a team consisting of at least the same no. of players as playing in a real-life sports team (e.g. 5 in basketball, 7 in kabaddi and 11 in cricket/football)
All contests are run for at least the duration of one full sports match
No team changes are allowed by participants after the start of the sports match”

In addition, the ‘game of mere skill’ “makes the Dream11 game exempt from the provisions of the Public Gambling Act, 1867 (PGA).”

Is Dream11 gambling or a game of skill?

The saying “two things can be true” can apply here. Success in Dream11 relies on a mix of extensive research, cricketing knowledge and the odd gut feel. Typically, well prepared players, who also carefully pick and choose the matches they play, are likelier to win. So, there is certainly an element of skill.

Also, Dream11 contests run for the full entirety of a match, whereas gambling can take many forms, i.e. different markets for each over, player and innings.

However, to say there is no luck involved in Dream11 is far-fetched. For example, in the first T20I between India and Australia in November 2023, Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed run out without facing a ball. Those who picked him in their side would have known he has had a solid year in T20s. But, there is no way of catering for such a freak dismissal.

While there is debate on whether Dream11 is gambling, there is no doubt the platform can be addictive. There needs to be a focus on educating young people on the risks. Like with anything, too much can be harmful. According to doctors at Delhi’s All India Institute of Media Sciences (AIIMS) and Bengaluru’s Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT), India has seen a rise in gaming addiction in recent years, with one user incurring a total loss of 3,500,000 rupees in a few years according to Rest of World.

If you are a fantasy cricket player (Dream11 or any other platform such as Fan2Play or MyTeam11), the following tips are vital to ensuring your financial and mental wellbeing.

Focus only on certain matches and sports you know more about. The more matches/sports you play does NOT increase your likelihood of winning.
Set spending limits. NEVER chase your losses. The user who lost 3,500,000 rupees now “invests 100 rupees [around $1.30] on games and teams I have knowledge about. I know how addictive it can get, so I’m not overusing it.”
Do your research. CricBlog’s Fantasy Cricket Previews cover stats, head-to-head matchups, pitch conditions and more to help.

For more information, visit our article “6 tips to increase your chances of winning on Dream11”.

The debate as to whether Dream11 is gambling will continue to roll on. As mentioned, there is skill involved, but there is luck, too. Because of factors that players can’t control, it is important to control what you can – mainly spending limits, choosing games wisely and never to rely solely on luck when putting together a playing XI.