India seeks public input on legalizing betting, gambling

The Law Commission of India is seeking public input to help craft its report on whether the government should legalize sports betting and gambling.

Late last year, India’s Supreme Court tasked the Law Commission with studying the potential for legalizing sports betting in the world’s most populous country. The Court’s request was based on recommendations made by the Lodha Committee, which suggested that legalized betting could help reduce highly public incidents of tampering with Indian sports, most notably cricket.

On Tuesday, the Law Commission issued an appeal for input from both gaming industry stakeholders and the general public with regard to legalizing not only sports betting but other forms of gambling, as well. The Commission reasoned that “gambling is very closely associated with betting” and considering one without the other “may render the whole exercise futile.”

Specifically, the Commission wants to know if legalizing betting and gambling will help reduce illegal activity and allow the government to earn “substantial” revenue and generate jobs. The Commission also wants input on whether legalizing gambling will be “morally correct in the Indian circumstances.”