Sports ministry mulls on legalizing online betting

We might to closer than ever before to an era when betting on cricket matches is regulated in India, as the country's sports ministry is now mulling on preparing a legislation to make sports betting in India legal.

Taking a leaf out of UK's book, where betting has been regulated for some years now, the ministry has already begun talks with the respective stakeholders in the government.

"The UK has one of the most effective gambling laws. We hope to understand their system and see if it is possible to introduce it in India," an official working with the ministry told Indian Express.

Curbing the menace of corrupt activities harbouring around different sports has always involved a tussle between the law-enforcing authorities and the erring masses and the blot of spot fixing has also taken its toll on the reputation of the global game.

On this front, bringing betting under the legal ambit could solve these problems to some extent, provided adequate laws are in face to regulate such activities.

"The department is preparing a MoU with the UK and the aspect of betting will be included therein in order to understand the mechanism and evolve a view on the possibility of its introduction in India," the ministry conveyed in a presentation.

"However, it can be beneficial to the economy as well as sports overall. We are looking at the best international practices in sports integrity and ethics framework," the official added.

These moves have been emboldened by what the former Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha, had told the Supreme Court last years with respect to betting in India.

"As far as betting alone is concerned, many of the respondents before the Committee were of the view that it would serve both the game and economy if it were legalized as has been done in the United Kingdom," Lodha had said.

Money laundering and the associated unscrupulous activities have surfaced time and again, especially during or around big-money tournaments like the IPL.

This year, three bookies were arrested from the same hotel in Kanpur where the Gujarat Lions were put and a betting racket was busted subsequently.

Whether or not to legalize betting has been a long-standing debate, but if the highest law-making body of the country, in due consultation with the Parliament, enforces a law to this effect, it would not only save legal hassles for the law enforcers, but would also help drive the revenues of the game, or private parties as the case may be.