DC Edit | Time to Regulate Cricket Betting

With the beginning of India’s biggest sporting festival, the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is time for brisk business for betting houses — widely popular though illegal in some states. While wagers are placed on almost every important event, IPL matches are the top favourites for punters because of their short 20-20 format.

The betting market is primarily driven by the growing popularity of online sports betting apps, a large youth population with high disposable incomes and rapid smartphone adoption. According to an estimate, 34 crore Indians place bets on cricket matches, cumulatively betting over $200 million on each match.

Though betting — being in the realm of chance rather than skill — is still under the Public Gambling Act, 1867, several betting app makers market betting as a skill-based game, which is considered legal in India. Using this grey area, they enlist endorsements by celebrities to promote mobile app-based cricket betting among the wider public.

Recently, the Telangana government filed cases against 25 actors, including Rana Daggubati, Prakash Raj, Vijay Deverakonda and Manchu Lakshmi, for allegedly promoting illegal betting apps, as betting is illegal in Telangana. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to look into foreign exchange transactions.

A spokesperson for one of the actors named in the case argued that the actor’s endorsement of the betting app was intended for states where betting is legal. He further contended that the Supreme Court had considered these online games to be skill-based.

Cricket betting currently faces two issues — the first is that betting is not illegal in all states in the country and the second — how one can determine whether a person places a wager based on skill or chance. The solution to this predicament is for the Central government to introduce a model law on betting with clear definitions and guidelines.