According to the Public Gambling Act of 1867, gambling is illegal in India.
When the law was introduced more than 150 years ago, the penalty for being caught inside a public gambling house was a whopping 100 rupees “ a large amount of money at the time!
However, by contemporary standards, this penalty is ludicrously low “ this serves as proof that the Public Gambling Act has not kept up with our modern times.
But all that may be about to change, because an increasing number of important figures within the Indian government are speaking out in favor of legalizing certain elements of gambling in India.
One of the most vocal supporters of legalising online betting in India is Anurag Singh Thakur.
Who is Anurag Singh Thakur and why is he important?
Anurag Singh Thakur is not just any Indian parliamentarian. He has been minister of state finance and corporate affairs.
During his term as minister of state finance, Singh had a tremendous power and impact over how the government of India earns and spends its money, so he has a real insight into this area.
Now, Singh is serving as the minister of sports, and he is recommending that the government should legalize sports betting in India. This is a big deal!
Why does Anurag Singh Thakur want to legalise betting in India?
The reasons behind Singh™s campaign to legalise betting in India stems from his insight into the finances of the Indian government.
Singh is arguing that if the government would legalize, regulate, and tax gambling proceeds, it would have a tremendously positive impact on state finances.
Secondly, he wants to take the example of countries like Australia and use part of the gambling tax money to support and develop the sporting industry within the country.
This means building stadiums, funding training academies, and overall improving the conditions of athletes in India.
According to Singh Thakur, legalising betting may also help curb match fixing, a growing problem in India.
Having a regulated gambling industry means that it becomes unattractive to place bets on the black market, which leads people to place bets through licensed betting operators.
This in turn makes it much easier to monitor and apprehend people who are suspected of engaging in match fixing.
But what about the downsides of legalizing gambling in India “ aren™t there any potential problems associated with legalization?
Of course, there are no roses without thorns, and the same can be said for online gambling.
A legalization of online gambling will, undoubtedly, lead to more people gambling, and thus more people will be addicted to gambling and become problem gamblers.
However, one way to effectively counter this tragedy is by doing what other more developed gambling nations have done: to set up a strong responsible gambling unit within the government and to ensure that it has adequate financing to catch and help problem gamblers in India.
If that is done, and if Anurag Singh Thakur is successful on his mission to legalise gambling in India, then we may see gambling become a legal activity in our lifetime, and it could very well be for the benefit of India, as well as the sports industry as a whole.