When the Coronavirus hit India, no one could have guessed the devastating effect it would have on the sports industry. With that being said, no one could have guessed that so many fans would be demanding access to online cricket betting
With the recent pandemic massively affecting sports betting markets, especially in India, it has become a popular question lately in terms of whether or not online cricket betting will ever become legal in India. According to research, cricket fans in the country have turned to a number of sources to find out when this will happen including daily forums, major news and media outlets, as well as sites such as Today Match Prediction which acts as a source of entertainment as well as a tool to keep up to date with the latest forecasts of big matches.
When the Coronavirus hit India, no one could have guessed the devastating effect it would have on the sports industry. With that being said, no one could have guessed that so many fans would be demanding access to online cricket betting.
Just recently, famed and highly regarded commentator, public figure and journalist, YashwantDeshmukh, made a public announcement on Twitter calling on the government to legalize betting in India. Those familiar with the highly regarded and successful Indian Deshmukh, will understand the importance of his stance as he has a massive following.
About The Tweet Generating Attention
YashwantDeshmukh has a following of over 180 000 fans on Twitter alone and in his tweet, he suggested the following:
The tweet was made in light of the Coronavirus affecting the government’s revenue and a solution of sorts to generate new revenue that could be a saving grace for India.
Deshmukh ended his list of suggestions stating that he was very serious about the matter and that it should be considered. Needless to say, there are many who follow the famed sports commentators' opinion and it has begged the question, will online cricket betting ever be legal in the country where it is currently not.
Cricket in India
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in India and as a result, there are many bets placed on the game. The IPL season was due to take place just before the virus hit the country. Now with the IPL season being called off indefinitely, it is difficult to predict when things will return to normal and for it to be safe for cricketers to grace the greens again.
Online cricket betting is legalized in many countries around the world and with alcohol delivery being legalized in a number of Indian states, it doesn’t seem at all impossible.
Deshmukh wouldn’t be the first to call for online cricket betting; in 2013 another famous cricketer suggested that the practice of placing online wagers on cricket matches become legal in India. Though this suggestion was made public 2013 were still challenged in terms of evolving its laws as it has in 2020.
Now several years later, it doesn’t seem so difficult to imagine a new world for India, one where sports fans benefit from the entertainment that is online sports betting. However, there are those who would prefer to conform to traditional laws and prohibit the access of online cricket wagering. Some of Yashwant’s fans included believe that the law regarding online sports wagering should remain firmly in place.
In 2017, again there was hope for those looking to evolve India and implement new laws when a Public Interest Litigation was filed in one of India’s Supreme Court’s. This was intended to shift laws in favour of regulated sports betting which would have then even begun to generate revenue but now with the devastating impact of the Coronavirus on government revenues and with no foreseeable lift on the sports ban, it doesn’t seem impossible that online cricket betting will become legal.
Though there are many on board with the thought of a modernized India, there is still strong opposition and only time will tell whether or not online sports wagering, especially for the cricket community in India, will become legalized allowing fans and the government to benefit from online entertainment.
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