The Law Commission’s recommendation that gambling and betting on sports, including cricket, be allowed under strict regulations makes sound financial sense since the taxes slapped on such activities will earn revenue for the government. For the past couple of years, the Supreme Court and the central government have been contemplating the consequences of legalising a phenomenon that continues to thrive despite the occasional crackdowns by law-enforcement agencies. Though the ‘gentleman’s’ game has lost its tag since the surfacing of the news that cricketers can be bought to influence the outcome of a match, it didn’t majorly dent the subcontinent’s obsession with the sport. Given the facts – including man’s innate, almost primordial, instinct to gamble – legalising with adequate safeguards is a win-win situation since the government, too, stands to gain. 

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Betting involves big money in India. As per the Global Market Advisors 2016 projection, casino gambling alone, a hot favourite with the growing Indian middle class has the potential to generate nearly “$10.2 billion annually by the year 2025, provided there is the right product in the market”. Only two Indian states, Goa and Sikkim, and one Union territory, Daman, allow casinos. Cricket wagering, however, is a different money monster altogether with people from all walks of life, including businessmen and Bollywood celebrities, betting big time despite knowing that it attracts both fine and imprisonment. The punitive measures mandated by the law clearly failed to act as a deterrent. 

According to the All India Gaming Federation, India loses almost Rs 2 lakh crore every year, due to illegal betting on cricket. The central government has realised the futility of a ban because it has pushed the trade underground. Since gambling is a money-spinner, most countries of the European Union and in the Caribbean have legalised betting. The Indian government has been pussyfooting around the issue due to moral compulsions, and yet, it has kept horse-racing within the ambit of the law. These double standards have only led to a huge loss for the exchequer. Frowning upon gambling and yet utterly failing to prevent it reflects lack of political will and governance failure. 

The safeguards underscored by the Law Commission’s report, where PAN or Aadhaar card can be used for online transactions makes the entire process transparent and free of manipulation. The wider repercussions on society if gambling is made legal can always be open to debate, but an argument opposing it doesn’t hold much water, given the current scenario. On the other hand, the revenue from gambling can be used in nation-building, such as investing in healthcare, education and infrastructure. It’s time the government took a stand. Curiously, the 1867 Public Gambling Act (and gambling legislations in most states) exempt games of skill like cricket. The three-member Lodha committee headed by retired Chief Justice of India RM Lodha had recommended legalisation of betting with a regulatory body and licensing guidelines, as measures to curb match-fixing. The ball now is in the central government’s court.