It'll benefit people, sports and the government: Justice Mukul Mudgal in favour of legalising sports betting

Justice Mukul Mudgal, who headed the team that conducted an inquiry into the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandals of the previous decade, recently opined that sports betting should be legalised in India.

In an exclusive interview with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, the former Chief Justice of the Punjab High Court stated the legalising sports betting in the country would have a variety of benefits.

When asked about how he has always been an advocate of legalising sports betting, Mukul Mudgal said that the black money that currently goes to the criminal underworld will become white.

"In the Mudgal Committee report, all 3 of us recommended that sports betting should be legalised and there were reasons for it. One - all the money is black money. Two - the money goes to the underworld. All the sports bodies have programs where you can come to know of suspicious betting."

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It'll benefit sports, people and the government enormously: Mukul Mudgal

Mukul Mudgal continued by claiming that the revenue generated from legal betting will greatly benefit the government.

"Legalise betting, the government will get enormous revenue. Also, appoint a gaming commission to control betting, and it's all white - you tax it. The white money comes into the mainstream."

"It's a big call but if the government do take it, it'll benefit sports, it'll benefit the public, and it'll benefit the government enormously."

The former judge of the Delhi High Court has always been an outspoken believer in the legalisation of sports betting, and he is not the only one. Justice Lodha, along with the other three members of the Mudgal Committee, have also spoken in favour of the motion.

Recently, Indian politician Shashi Tharoor stated that it would greatly reduce the money that is unaccounted for and match-fixing. The 64-year-old expressed his surprise that the Indian government has not legalised sports betting yet, given how much it could benefit the country.

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