Should betting be legalized?
Thursday, 6 June 2013
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After the recent exposure of the
betting and spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the
gentleman’s game seems to have become a gambler’s paradise. As the game plunges
into glorious uncertainty, there is an unwarranted clarion call by some to put
a ban on the IPL matches. IPL, they feel, is an extravaganza for the business
tycoons and various Bollywood personalities to collude and further their
monetary interests, thus offering a fertile ground for lucrative betting. This has
severely degraded the majesty of the sport and has led to the moral decline of
cricket and cricketers. The hyper commercialization of the sport and the
accompanying culture has, however, raised a contentious issue, “Should betting
be legalized in cricket?”
According to a survey by the
auditing firm KPMG, betting to the tune of Rs. 3,00,000 crore takes place
annually in India. This whopping sum of black money is adversely affecting our
economic growth by breeding a parallel economy. Even after investing
substantial resources and cracking the whip on bookies that operate in
underground ways, the government has failed to enforce a blanket ban on this ‘heinous’
and ‘corrupt’ practice of earning money. A number of arrests have been made,
several bank accounts used to carry out transactions of the booty have been
seized and a large number of communication equipment have been confiscated, but this illegal practice, it seems, has shown no
signs of abatement.
In such a scenario, the
government should think of legalising and regulating betting that would entail
the use of white money instead of black money. Moreover, it may generate a
revenue of Rs. 12,000 to 19,000 crore per annum for the exchequer. This could
have several potential benefits. Firstly, it could ensure accountability for
the massive amounts of money transferred through illegal channels and reduction
in the cases of match-fixing, spot-fixing, money laundering et cetera. This could
also provide a disincentive to the players who succumb to the temptation of the
booty and bring disrepute to their nation by corrupting their morals. Secondly,
the revenue generated as a consequence of legalized betting could potentially
fund sports development, welfare schemes and infrastructure development for
various sports. This could offer dual benefit – by preventing the deterioration
of sports culture and ensuring a sports lover’s right to a fair game. Thirdly,
through proper and active regulation, the young and vulnerable could be
protected against the perils of unwise betting behaviour and structured sleaze.
On the contrary, even though
regulated and legalized, betting may lead to social and cultural problems. Anybody
with black money would refrain from voluntarily inviting the risk of assessment
of his/her income sources and auditing of accounts by the government. Moreover,
gambling lobby might become too strong to overcome any prosecution through
legal loopholes and sloppy judicial process, in the long run.
Prudence demands that a suitable
mechanism be devised to bring those involved in illegal betting within the
ambit of the law and the glory of the sport be regained by ridding it of its
malaise.
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