With betting in IPL tournament estimated to be around Rs 66,000 crore business, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha on Tuesday said there is no harm in legalising betting as there was no point in a ban which cannot be enforced.
|Last Updated: Nov 12, 2013, 09:40 PM IST|Source: PTI
New Delhi: With betting in IPL tournament estimated to be around Rs 66,000 crore business, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha on Tuesday said there is no harm in legalising betting as there was no point in a ban which cannot be enforced.
When asked by senior editor Shekhar Gupta on his views about legalising betting, Sinha, who was on the panel of a session "Ethics and integrity in sports--need for a law and role of CBI", said there was no harm in legalising betting in the country.
"If we can have lottery in states, if we can have casinos at holiday resorts. If the government can declare schemes of voluntary disclosure for black money, so what`s the harm in legalising betting. Besides you`ll have enforcement agencies to look into it," he said, adding that its easy to call for ban than to enforce it.
When informed by a delegate during the session that officials of cricket bodies have been termed as public servants by the Supreme Court and can now be probed by CBI and states` anti-corruption agencies, Sinha said it was a revelation and he would not hesitate to probe cases of corruption if need arises.
Earlier, speaking on the occasion, ace cricketer Rahul Dravid, who was special guest at the panel, said legalising betting is one subject on which call has to be taken by the law enforcement agencies.
"I think if the law enforcement authorities actually do feel that legalising betting will lead to better governance and reduce corruption then I am all for it," he said.
When the question was posed to Ravi Sawani, chief of BCCI`s Anti Corruption and Security Unit, he said legalising betting will in no way help reducing corruption from the game.
Sawani in his presentation said in each IPL game, legal bets from one exchange in the UK are about Rs 440 crore whereas for the tournament, bets worth Rs 66,000 crore approximately are placed which include illegal betting syndicates as well.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.