Minister of State for Finance and former BCCI president, Anurag Thakur has called out to legalize and regulate gambling in India.
While speaking at an ICICI Securities event, Thakur stated that the safest option for India at this point of time is to regulate gambling.
He stated that unholy and corrupt practices in game of cricket will only stop once we closely monitor people allegedly involved in match fixing activities.
Thakur was of the opinion that billions of money is put on wagering and the country loses billions of Rupees that can safely be generated as revenue. As much as $48 billion is directed at cricket alone. Legalizing betting would not only make it safer for people but also lead to revenue generation for the country.
Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, said: “If we look at the problem of match-fixing, then the trends in betting can give us leads on whether something unholy is happening or not. Betting can become a potent tool to stop fixing”, reported Calvin Ayre.
Shah added, “My suggestion will be to legalise betting and gambling activities, which are underground. They continue to exist in our society,” reported Calvin Ayre.