A Supreme Court-appointed panel today recommended legalising betting with strong safeguards and criminalising match and spot fixing in cricket to ensure transparency in the game.
The three-member committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India R M Lodha, said though betting was a general malaise indulged by different sections of society, it could be dealt with by providing a legal framework.
"There is a fundamental difference between betting and match/spot-fixing. The latter interferes with the integrity of the game and attempts to change the course of the match. It is tampering the game by the cricket players to benefit a few. On the other hand, betting is a general malaise indulged by different sections of society...
"While the issue of betting can be effectively dealt with by providing a legal framework, match/spot-fixing is neither pardonable nor a matter for regulation. The only way to deal with it is by making it a criminal offence punishable by law. The Committee recommends appropriate amendments by the legislature," the panel said in its 159-page report.
The committee, however, said betting should be legalised with an inbuilt mechanism to ensure that players, match officials, administrators, team officials and owners will not be entitled to indulge in betting as it would continue to be an offence under the BCCI and IPL rules and regulations.
Detailing the safeguards, the report said that regulatory watchdogs would be necessary to ensure that betting houses as well as those transacting are strictly monitored, failing which the registrations would be susceptible to cancellation.
"The players, administrators and others closely associated with the sport would be required to furnish the details of their incomes and assets for the sake of transparency.
"Licenses would have to be issued to those placing the bets as well, with age and identification details recorded. Strict penal sanctions would have to be imposed on those transgressing the license and other requirements," it said.
The panel, also comprising Justices R V Raveendran and Ashok Bhan, further said that betting could serve both the game and economy, if it were legalized as has been done in the United Kingdom.
"It cannot be overlooked that the worldwide legal sports betting market is worth over 400 billion dollars. However, with the interest of cricket being foremost in our minds, it would always be necessary to protect and invoke transparency from those involved in the game," it said.
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The panel also suggested that there was a need to educate and sensitize young players and debutants about game ethics, to inculcate discipline and integrity among players, and also to spread awareness about the ills of betting, match/spot- fixing and other game related malpractices.
The panel observed that financial insecurity, short professional career and huge disparity in the contract money paid to different classes of players are some of the factors which tempt them towards such practices.
It recommended that BCCI should coordinate with the state machinery to create a dedicated special investigation wing in the police to act whenever there were complaints and also to ensure that such events do not occur.
Slamming BCCI for holding post-match parties during IPL, it said the board "should be careful not to offer any avenues which may affect the game and the conduct of the players".
"Attention should be bestowed by BCCI to give education about ethics and financial management to youngsters and to secure the post-cricket life of all players.
"Experience has shown that when a betting or match/ spot- fixing incident occurs, BCCI is ill-prepared to deal with the same," it said.
Apart from recommending legalisation of betting, the panel also suggested sweeping reforms for BCCI, suggesting a bar on ministers from occupying positions, putting a cap on the age and tenure of the office-bearers.
