Cricket Betting is Legal in Some Cricket Playing Countries

The recommendation of the Justice Lodha Committee for the legalization of cricket betting in India has received a rather mixed response from the nationals of the country. On one side, where the public response has not been welcoming, there are a number of stakeholders of the game and legal experts who support the implementation of this recommendation.

Of course, there are a number of offshore casinos in Goa and a number of online casinos where placing a bet is a comparatively easier task, yet, betting remains an activity termed illegal in India. On the other hand, it is a multi-billion-dollar industry which has experienced multifold growth in the recent past. Also, there are a number of countries that have managed to check illegal betting associations by legalizing the activity.

Here are 5 countries where cricket betting is legal. 

Australia

Guess who loves gambling? The Australians! The country has the highest percentage of adults engaging in one or the other form of gambling, as high as over 80 percent. In 1998, when the industry of gambling was in its nascent stages, gambling fetched the country a whopping revenue of 3.8 billion dollars. Looks like the US wants some revenue too through legalization of sports betting. Interestingly NBA has demanded profit sharing as well!

Australian cricket betting activities are closely monitored by the Cricket Australia (CA). Also, the industry is regulated by a number of laws at the provincial level. What’s surprising is that no tax is levied on winnings from gambling. Instead, revenue is generated through the operators.

United Kingdom

 In the United Kingdom, sports betting is regulated by the Gambling Act of 2005, applicable to anyone and everyone involved in the activity. If we talk specifically about the stakeholders of cricket, a set of rules have been detailed by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) in this regard.

South Africa

For a long time, South Africa practiced a ban on any form of sports betting. But things changed with the National Gambling Act 7 of 2004 coming into force. The act defines gambling as ‘placing or accepting a bet or wager’ and all gambling activities in the country are governed by this act.

Also, there are a separate set of regulations that govern cricket betting activity. Though, the question remains, can sport still exist without betting?

Sri Lanka

If we compare to the South African, Australian and the British cricket betting industries, betting in Sri Lanka is still in its nascent stages. The bookmakers here mostly offer betting opportunities on the IPL (Indian Premier League) games and the matches played by their national team.

New Zealand

The monitoring authority for all gambling activities in New Zealand is the Department of Internal Affairs. Unlike their neighbor, Australia, an extremely small sports betting market exists in New Zealand. Rules and regulations for gambling are decided by the Gambling Act of 2003.