By IANS
Mohali (Punjab) : Inderjit Singh Bindra, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) principal adviser-designate, Wednesday sought that betting in cricket be legalised in India.
“This will not only eliminate things like match fixing but also generate huge revenue for the government in millions. It is in the interest of the government,” Bindra told reporters here.
He said this while detailing plans about the Mohali Indian Premier League (IPL) team – Kings XI Punjab – in the presence of its owner Priety Zinta and organising committee chairman and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal.
Bindra said he mooted the idea of legalising betting earlier, but the government did not accept it. He asked the media to build up the case for legalising betting in the country.
“In England and Australia, betting already enjoys legal status. Now, it is up to the governments in the sub-continent to consider it,” he said.
Bindra, a former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, will take over as the all-powerful principal adviser of the ICC in June.
“My personal view is that if you want anything to be regulated, it has to be legalised.”
“Media estimates suggest that bets ranging anywhere between Rs.80 billion to Rs.100 billion are placed on one-day international (ODI) matches. By that magnitude, one can imagine that the government can easily earn Rs.50 billion to Rs.70 billion as entertainment duty and other things,” said Bindra, who is president of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).