A Supreme Court-appointed panel on Monday recommended legalising betting with strong safeguards and criminalising match and spot fixing in cricket to ensure transparency in the game.
"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. On other hand, betting is a general malaise indulged by different sections of society...While issue of betting can be effectively dealt with by providing a legal framework, match/spot-fixing is neither pardonable nor matter for regulation. Committee recommends appropriate amendments by the legislature," the panel said.
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.
Regulatory watchdogs would be necessary to ensure that the betting houses as well as those transacting there are strictly monitored, failing which their 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.