NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor has taken the Private Members Bill called the Sports (Online Gaming and Prevention of Fraud) to Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
The development comes nearly two weeks after the same bill was first tabled in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament.
If passed by both the Houses, the bill will pave the way for the first ever sports law in India on making corrupt activities such as match fixing and curbing the creation of black money from activities such as betting and online gaming, a criminal offence. It could result in the formation of a regulatory body to prevent crime and fraud in sport and gaming in India.
“The integrity of sports is essential to preserve its beneficial aspects. Sports integrity is increasingly under threat due to unabated acts of fraud and corruption. My bill addresses this issue by criminalising sports fraud, including match fixing and spot fixing,” Tharoor had said in a statement.
“Sports is a major source of commerce and revenue for many entities, especially in the field of betting or gaming in connection with sporting events. The increasing commercial nature of sports, increases the possibility of sports manipulation by vested interests to make financial benefits. A complete prohibition on betting on sports has not been a successful approach, rather it has driven the market further into the black economy.
“The law must adopt a regulatory approach and effectively demarcate the lines of permissible conduct in the field of betting or gaming in connection with a sporting event. My bill provides the framework to make this possible.” the statement added.
