Ravi Shastri beckons India to legalize sports betting

Ravi Shastri has issued a statement in favour of allowing sports betting in the country to exist within the legal regulations of the country, at an interview organized by the Indian Express on Thursday, the 23rd of December through digital video conferencing. The conversation aimed to ask the former cricketer about his experiences as head coach of India and gain insights into other matters prevailing in the cricketing world.

Sports betting has always been illegal in India, even though some data suggests nearly 400 millions partake in gambling across the nation. With the regulations regarding online betting still murky, the Indian legislators have often been called upon to frame proper laws for the same. Recently, Karnataka passed an amended legislation to ban all forms of online games that involved real money, even while the Kerala High Court had a few days ago struck down a ban on online rummy games.

“I think it will generate tremendous revenue for the government. Tax-wise, it’s the way of the world at the moment. The more you try to shut it down, the more it will be in your face through alternate channels. I think it’s extremely important that it should be legalized in a proper way and it’s a good platform for things to be done officially and properly,” Ravi Shastri was reported saying by Cricket Addictor.

Along the same lines, the Law Commission of India had recommended the legalization of regulated betting and gambling activities in sports.

“Incapability to enforce a complete ban has resulted in a rampant increase in illegal gambling, resulting in a boom in black-money generation and circulation. Since it is not possible to prevent these activities completely, effectively regulating them remains the only viable option,” the report, entitled ‘Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting Including in Cricket in India’, read.

It remains to be seen whether any steps in the domain will be taken by the Indian government any time soon.