The body that advises the government of India is discussing the feasibility of legalizing sports betting in the country.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, retired Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan, chairman of the Law Commission of India, confirmed that they are “examining all legal aspects of betting in sports.”
“Once we make up our mind and prepare a skeleton in what direction we should proceed and what legal problems may arise, we will write to all the stakeholders,” the chairman told the news outlet.
In July, India’s Supreme Court accepted the recommendations made by the Lodha Committee to make sports betting legal through an enacted legislation. In 143-page judgment, the magistrates agreed with the committee that sports betting and match fixing were not the same bananas when they gave their stamp of approval for the legalization of sports betting in India. However, the magistrates left the decision to make sports betting legal in India to the Parliament since the issue “involves the enactment of a law which is a matter that may be examined by the Law Commission and the government.”
“In many countries betting in sports is legal but situations are different there. We will study all the aspects,” Chauhan said, according to the HT report.
India has already flirted with the idea of legalizing sports betting, but the legislature has yet to act on it. The country’s gambling market is governed by the Public Gaming Act 1867, which has been the focus of modernization for many gaming industry stakeholders.
The issue of sports betting law was thrust into the spotlight by the 2013 spot-fixing controversy surrounding the Indian Premier League cricket players.
International audit and professional services organization KPMG came out with a report in 2012, valuing the Indian sports betting market at INR3 trillion (USD44.27 billion). And if made legal, the government may receive 20 percent tax on profit. Currently, the country only allows betting on horse racing.
