Question : Gambling and Betting in Sports

(a) whether the Law Commission has recommended that gambling and betting in sports, including cricket, be allowed as regulated activities taxable under the direct and indirect tax regimes and used as a source for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government plans to enact a model law under Article 249 or 252 of the Constitution for regulating gambling that may be adopted by the States and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Commission has also recommended linking Aadhaar or PAN card of an individual indulging in betting and gambling and making the transaction cashless to regulate illegal activities such as money laundering; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LAW & JUSTICE
AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS
(SHRI P.P. CHAUDHARY)
(a) to (d) : The Law Commission of India(L.C.I) submitted its 276th report titled “Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting including in Cricket in India” to Government on 05.07.2018, wherein it has recommended that legalizing betting and gambling in India in the present scenario is not desirable, and that a complete ban on unlawful betting and gambling must be ensured .
However, the Commission has said that a complete ban may not be possible. In that case it should be regulated by inter-alia linking all betting and gambling transactions to the Aadhar Card/PAN card of the operator as well as participant/player and also all transactions should be made cashless.

The report is available on the website of the L.C.I (lawcommission of india.nic.in). The L.C.I has also issued a Press Note clarifying the matter. A copy of this Press Note is also available on the website of the L.C.I.

The aforesaid Report is under consideration of the Government.