Law Commission of India recommends legalising sports betting and gambling, claim reports

The Law Commission of India has taken a revolutionary step which might change the way sports is consumed in India as the body has recommended legalising sports betting and gambling activities in India in its latest report. However, the commission has also clearly stated in its report, which has been submitted to law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, that match-fixing and sports fraud should be treated as criminal offences.

According to News18.com, the commission’s report “Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting including Cricket in India” recommends changes in regulation of betting law. The argument presented in the report states that by putting a complete ban on gambling activities, there has been a hike in ‘black money generation and circulation."

The report reads that the commission took opinions of students, experts and the general public before coming to a conclusion that regulation in the law was required instead of complete prohibition. The panel headed by Justice BS Chauhan prepared the report which reads, “In the light of the fact that the existing black-market operations relating to these activities are a major source of influx of black money in the economy, regulation rather than complete prohibition the logical step to be taken.”