FIR against fantasy platform Sportasy under new Haryana gambling law; pressure mounts on Dream11, My11Circle, others

Entrackr · 2d

Under Haryana’s new gambling law, the state has registered its first FIR against fantasy sports platform Sportasy, owned by Blossomfield Gamingzone Pvt Ltd. The complaint, filed by Hari Nuniya, a resident of Naharpur, signals the beginning of Haryana’s action against fantasy gaming operators. The move follows Haryana's notification of the Prevention of Public Gambling Act, 2025, in May. The revised law includes fantasy sports and opinion trading platforms within its scope, unless they are specifically recognised as "games of skill" by the state government under Sections 2(g) and 16 of the Act. Despite previous court rulings that classify fantasy sports as skill-based, Haryana’s law requires explicit approval at the state level. Without this, even long-time operators may face legal consequences. Platforms like MPL have already suspended their fantasy and opinion-trading services in Haryana, anticipating such risks. But others including Dream11, My11Circle, SportsBaazi, and MyTeam11 continue to operate in the state. With the FIR against Sportasy now public, pressure is mounting on fantasy games, rummy, and opinion trading apps, including Dream11, My11Circle, MyTeam11, and Sportsbaazi, among many others. Legal experts say they could be vulnerable to similar action, including FIRs, criminal proceedings, asset freezes, and operational disruptions, if they fail to secure state recognition. After the new law came into effect, authorities took action in the opinion trading space. In May, Gurugram Police froze over Rs 100 crore linked to the Probo app. Probo then approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which refused to release the funds. The company subsequently moved to the Supreme Court on June 2, but the Court directed it to return to the High Court for a full hearing. The High Court heard the matter today and instructed the investigating officers to present all relevant details at the next hearing on June 12 (tomorrow). This FIR against Sportasy is the first known case under the new law targeting a fantasy sports platform. Last month, Entrackr reported on how apps like Dream11, My11Circle, and others are still running in Haryana after the new law came into effect. The report explained how the law’s broad definition of “betting” includes fantasy sports, opinion trading, and other real-money gaming platforms.