India should legalize cricket betting, says panel led by former Chief Justice

A Supreme Court-appointed panel has recommended that India authorize betting on cricket while making match- and spot-fixing a criminal offence.

On Monday, a three-member committee headed by India’s former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha issued its report (read it here) following a year-long study of cricket and its governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The study was prompted by the 2013 betting scandal that rocked the Indian cricket world.

The panel’s recommendations aren’t legally binding, but the report says betting “can be effectively dealt with by providing a legal framework” that would “serve both the game and the economy.” The panel strongly urged Indian legislators to formally authorize cricket betting and to license betting operators.

The panel said the government would need to appoint “regulatory watchdogs” to monitor betting activity, with “strict penal sanctions” imposed on any operator caught flouting the terms of their license. Individual bettors would also be subject to oversight and the panel recommended a complete ban on betting by anyone associated with cricket, including players, team and match officials, administrators, owners, etc.