The Indian Law Commission is leaning towards regulating sports betting and casino gambling activities in the country, according to the Times of India.
India’s top law panel was tasked last year to examine “all legal aspects of betting in sports” in India following the 2013 spot-fixing controversy involving Indian Premier League cricket players, but concluded that regulating gambling activities in India through a law is better than a complete ban.
Retired Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, who heads the panel, admitted that gambling in general has adverse effects, including more crime and worsening living standards because of the possibility of gambling addiction, but those reasons do not justify a ban.
“Legalisation would give the government the opportunity to bring gambling out from the dark corners of society, impose controls and extract some revenue. If betting were legal then a huge chunk of money that, at the moment, circulates only round the black market, would quickly become available,” the retired justice said.
