Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports

Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports
Abbreviation	FIFS
Formation	2017
Headquarters	New Delhi, Delhi, India
Location	India;
Services	Fantasy sports industry regulation
Fields	Fantasy sports
Membership	As of January 2024, 21 members
Official language	English
President	Harsh Jain
Website	www.fifs.in
Formerly called	Indian Federation of Sports Gaming

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) is a self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports in India, headquartered in New Delhi. Established in 2017 as the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), it serves as the primary organization for fantasy sports operators in India.^[1]

History

The organization was founded in 2017 as the Indian Federation of Sports Gaming and is registered under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013.^[2] Former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri serves as the organization's ombudsman and ethics officer.^[3]

Legal Framework

Regulatory Status

The legal status of fantasy sports in India has evolved through several court decisions:

The Bombay High Court declared fantasy sports legal on 13 April 2019.^[4]

The Supreme Court of India officially recognized fantasy sports as legal on 8 August 2021, classifying them as games of skill rather than gambling.^[5]

However, fantasy sports remain prohibited in Sikkim, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.^[6]

Charter and Governance

The FIFS Charter establishes operational standards for member organizations, including:^[7]

Legal incorporation requirements in India
Age restrictions (18+) for paid contests
Separation of operational and prize pool funds
Responsible gaming policies
Prohibition of platform employee participation

Leadership

As of December 2023^[update], key positions include:^[8]

President: Harsh Jain
Chairman: Bimal Julka
Director General: Joy Bhattacharjya
Ombudsman and Ethics Officer: Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri

Member Organizations

As of January 2024^[update], FIFS has 21 member organizations. Notable members include:

Platform	Organization
Dream11	Sporta Technologies Pvt Ltd
Fantasy Akhada	Super Six Sports Gaming Pvt Ltd
A23	Head Digital Works Pvt Ltd
Sportasy	Blossomfield Gamingzone Pvt Ltd

References

^ "Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports welcomes I&B Ministry's advisory". The Hindu. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
^ "Bimal Julka Appointed As Chairman Of FIFS". News18. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
^ Hariharan, Sindhu (29 July 2019). "Justice A K Sikri appointed ombudsman of Indian Federation of Sports Gaming". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
^ "Is it legal to play fantasy sports like Dream11 for real money in India?". G2G News. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
^ "Supreme Court upholds Dream11 fantasy sports format as game of skill". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
^ Suri, Rajiv (19 January 2022). "Fantasy or Reality- Leveraging Technology for money Games". Lexology. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
^ "Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports Onboards Spice Fantasy as a Start-up Member". News18. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
^ Khosla, Varuni (15 July 2022). "Joy Bhattacharjya appointed director general Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports". mint. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

External links

[hindu2022-1] "Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports welcomes I&B Ministry's advisory". The Hindu. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

[news18_2020-2] "Bimal Julka Appointed As Chairman Of FIFS". News18. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022.

[toi2019-3] Hariharan, Sindhu (29 July 2019). "Justice A K Sikri appointed ombudsman of Indian Federation of Sports Gaming". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

[g2g2021-4] "Is it legal to play fantasy sports like Dream11 for real money in India?". G2G News. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.

[et2021-5] "Supreme Court upholds Dream11 fantasy sports format as game of skill". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 October 2022.

[lexology2022-6] Suri, Rajiv (19 January 2022). "Fantasy or Reality- Leveraging Technology for money Games". Lexology. Retrieved 21 October 2022.

[news18_2022-7] "Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports Onboards Spice Fantasy as a Start-up Member". News18. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

[mint2022-8] Khosla, Varuni (15 July 2022). "Joy Bhattacharjya appointed director general Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports". mint. Retrieved 30 October 2022.

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