Concerns over match-fixing in Indian cricket have prompted a corruption watchdog agency to consider a shutdown of the Twenty 20 (T20) domestic leagues. Alarms were raised after a recent, low-level match drew £24 million (US$32 million) in wagers.
Betting on the Tamil Nadu Premier League match between Tuti Patriots and Madurai Panthers was so extraordinary that Betfair has stopped taking on any matches involving the Patriots and geo-blocked Indian IP addresses, reported Inside Asian Gaming.
The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has submitted expressing serious misgivings over the league and requested the BCCI to consider shutting it and other similar leagues down. The ACU is also investigating allegations that a player was approached by a team owner for spot-fixing in the T20 Mumbai league.
While sports betting is illegal in India, the underground industry is estimated to generate US$100 billion annually, mostly on cricket.
