The widespread match-fixing and illegal betting led the BCCI to take steps to improve its infrastructure and look for ways to mend its moral standing.<\/p>\n
The criminal acts also resulted in intervention by the Supreme Court and Lodha’s panel concluding that BCCI and India should embrace a controlled gambling market to eliminate unlawful betting systems and properly monitor players and officials.<\/p>\n
Cricket is the most popular activity in India, and while the sport’s governing body claims it wants to clean up its league, the federal government might not be so eager to ending gambling prohibition.<\/p>\n
With the exception of horse racing, gambling in India has been illegal for nearly 150 years.<\/p>\n
In addition to proposing legal cricket betting, Lodha’s outline also suggests transforming the BCCI’s power structure and organization from top to bottom. The BCCI has remained mum on the Lodha report so far.<\/p>\n
The decision to authorize gaming and sports betting doesn’t reside with the BCCI; that task goes to officials on the state and federal levels.<\/p>\n
\n“The federal government will likely leave it alone as it is still a contentious issue,” India Bet Managing Director George Oborne told eGaming Review.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nGambling has largely been a states’ rights topic over the years, but of the country’s 29 states and seven territories, just three have taken steps to expand the industry: Goa, Daman, and Sikkim.<\/p>\n
Though gambling can provide substantial revenues and monies for local governments, many in India believe any expansion of gambling also leads to an expansion in crime, corruption, and money laundering.<\/p>\n
Lodha argues gambling’s already there, albeit illegally, and that swift action must be taken.<\/p>\n
“With big money and attention, there has not been the necessary caution to protect the sport and its players from the orgy of excess,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
India is one step closer to legalizing sports betting and gambling after a panel appointed by the country’s Supreme Court recommended modifying the longstanding gaming ban in order to combat a growing epidemic of illegal wagering. Home to over 1.2 billion people, India is the second-most populated country in the world. Now three lawmakers, former […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":33523,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
India Supreme Court Panel Recommends Legalizing Sports Betting<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n