Valuable DFS precedent set by Indian courts

A case brought against Indian daily fantasy sports operator Dream11 last year in the Indian High Court, along with a consequently supportive ruling from a two-judge bench at the Punjab and Haryana High Court has provided daily fantasy sports supporters with a valuable judicial precedent, although not a definitive victory for the vertical.

Justice Amit Rawal found that DFS does not constitute gambling in that it requires a significant amount of skill and application for successful players, who have to continuously track player activity, sporting events, previous records, weather, and other factors.

The case was then referred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where Justices Rohinton F. Nariman and Sanjay Kishan Kaul concurred with the view of Justice Rawal and dismissed the case against Dream11.

While it is a wide leap to fully legalised and legislated daily fantasy sports in India, the rulings are seen as an important step forward in defending any future criminal allegations against the vertical, which is growing in popularity among Indian players.

It is understood the national audience could be as high as 7 million players, and annual growth rates have been in the double digits recently. India has a massive internet presence with around half a billion users, most of whom access the internet via mobile devices.

Related and similar