6 Held for Illegally Betting on Indian Premier League Matches

Despite heavy prohibitions on sports betting the Indian authorities seem unable to keep a lid on the activity.

India’s special anti-gambling task force as well as Penamalur police arrested six individuals yesterday for holding betting on Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches. An official report said that the operators are members of a local criminal gang which had collected a large sum in wagers for Tuesday’s match between the Mumbai Indians and the Sun Risers Hyderabad.

Indian gambling laws are very strict by European standards, with legal casinos operating only in two states and no forms of online sports betting. Inspector B.V. Rao told the press that the accused are being held under Sections 3 and 4 of the Gaming Act.

Cricket racked with scandal

Cricket is the most popular sport in India for athletes, spectators and bettors. The IPL has been rife with controversy in 2014 due to numerous match and spot-fixing scandals. The Board of Control for Cricket in India suspended several players and managers for taking bribes.

While wagering on sports is illegal, it is estimated that Indians spend billions of dollars annually in illegal betting shops and online and mobile betting sites.