Cricket is becoming a global game with every passing year. Cricket is now officially included in the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics 2028 and as a result, cricket's global stature has grown by some folds. To become a global game, cricket has to be expanded to several nations of the world. The nations that are stillĀ babies in terms of cricketing infrastructure. ICC's associate nations play a big role in achieving that goal. Little by little, more teams are becoming competitive in cricket, specially in the T20 format. The European Cricket Network tour has a big role in maintaining the associate cricket structure.Ā To date, it has organised more than 7,200 matches, nearly all of which have been played using the T10 format, in 55 European cities acrossĀ 26 different countries. Unfortunately, the European Cricket Network has been paused indefinitely. Fans eager to know why it has been paused will get the entire information below.Ā Ā Online Gaming Bill 2025 To Make India a Hub for Innovation and Creativity, Says PM Narendra Modi.

What is European Cricket Network Tour?

The European Cricket Network or the ECN Tour is a series of European cricket events organized by the European Cricket Network (ECN), a body formally sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). These tours features International matches and domestic club tournaments in T20 or T10 format. These games showcase the growth of cricket in EuropeĀ and provides platform for both international and domestic club competitions across Europe. Italy qualifying for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 can be a good example.

Why is the European Cricket Network Tour Paused?

The European Cricket Network tour is paused due to a sponsorship issue. A major sponsor of the European Cricket Network tour has pulled out from their investments in the competition due to India's online gaming bill 2025.Ā  ECN remains optimistic it can pivot its business strategy and hopeful it will see out the events scheduled for the remainder of 2025 as planned. But unless a major sponsorship partner is brought on board quickly it faces the reality of scaling back its operations drastically.

European Cricket Network Paused Indefinitely

What is the Online Gaming Bill 2025?

According to the Online Gaming Bill 2025 passed by the Indian government, any app or online platform offering money-based games or related services in India is now considered illegal. These platforms will no longer be allowed to operate in the country and will be subject to penalties and punishment if found in violation.Ā  In simple terms, the government has imposed a blanket ban on all online games involving monetary transactions. The new government bill has effectively banned real money gaming services and related advertisements, severely impacting the primary revenue stream of fantasy sports companies in India.

What'sĀ European Cricket Network Tour'sĀ Connection With India's Online Gaming Bill 2025?

Due to the Online Gaming Bill 2025 of India, online gaming platform Dream 11 has shut its operations associated with real-money gaming. The ECN tour received heavy financial backing from a partnership with Dream11, India's biggest fantasy sports platform. Now that they are suffering a major hit in their primary revenue stream, they areĀ pulling out from the investments in the ECN tour.Ā  Australian Daniel Weston, who founded the ECN, told BBC Sport it was a "devastating" blow and cricket in Europe "risks being pushed back 20 years" and "may never regain that momentum".Ā  Ā Dream11-Run Dream Picks App Pauses 'Pay To Play' Fantasy Sports Contests After Parliament Passes Online Gaming Bill 2025, Gives Update on Money Withdrawal.

Dream11, founded 18 years ago, shared a statementĀ where they declared that they have stopped all paid contests and that itĀ will continueĀ to operate several other sports-tech ventures under its parent group, including FanCode, DreamSetGo and Dream Game Studios.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2025 04:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).