Justice: Measure would stem “orgy of excess”
A panel appointed by India’s Supreme Court has come out in favor of legal sports betting to help put a halt to widespread illegal wagers.
According to Casino.org, former Chief Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha spearheaded a three-person panel to study the matter after a 2013 corruption and match-fixing scandal involving the Indian Premier League. The uproar led to charges against 39 people and resulted in two-year suspensions for two cricket teams.
Betting “would serve both the game and economy if legalized,” Lodha told reporters. “With big money and attention, there has not been the necessary caution to protect the sport and its players from the orgy of excess.”
In the aftermath of the scandal, the Supreme Court ruled that two IPL franchise owners were guilty of betting on the outcome of matches in 2013; the case sparked criticism of board members and owners with clear conflicts of interest, and led to the ouster of former BCCI chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan, who served in the role while owning the Chennai Super Kings.
In addition to advocating legal bets, Lodha and retired Justices Ashok Bhan and RV Raveendran recommend keeping politicians off the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the sport’s governing body; limiting terms for officeholders; establishing a separate executive body for the IPL; and appointing an independent ombudsman and ethics officer.
The decision to legalize sports betting would be made at the state and federal levels. India Bet Managing Director George Oborne told the eGaming Review the feds “will likely leave it alone, as it is still a contentious issue.”
Of the country’s 29 states and seven territories, only three have taken steps to establish gaming: Goa, Daman and Sikkim, reports Casino.org.
