Legalise betting, criminalise fixing: LCI

NEW DELHI: The Law Commission of India (LCI) has agreed with the Lodha Committee report that match-fixing of any kind in sport, including cricket, should be a criminal offence carrying significant punishment.

Calling gambling and betting two sides of the same coin, the LCI - a body instituted by the government to look into legal reform - has recommended to the Indian government that it consider regulating betting and gambling activities as against imposing a complete prohibition.

On Thursday, the LCI published the findings in a report titled “Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting including in Cricket in India”, which has been submitted to the Indian government to take a final call. In its various recommendations, the LCI also noted: “Match-fixing and sports fraud should be specifically made criminal offences with severe punishments.” The LCI, which comprises several lawmakers and is headed by Justice BS Chauhan, was pushed into action by the Lodha Committee which had recommended legalising betting in its final report in 2016. The Lodha Committee had said that the LCI was the appropriate body to consider enacting any such law.

The question of legalising betting in cricket came to the fore after the Mudgal Committee, appointed to probe the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, pointed out that investigative agencies “lament” the absence of “proper tools” to detect sports fraud. Legalising betting, the agencies told the Mudgal Committee, would “reduce the involvement of black money, and the influence of underworld”.

There is already a draft bill for the prevention of sporting fraud that was made in 2013, but it has not been acted on by any government yet. The draft bill covers the definition of sporting fraud, the perpetrators and the punishment - which can extend to five years of imprisonment, a fine of INR 10 lakh or five times the benefit derived from the sporting fraud.