"As the society changes, the law cannot remain
immutable"
– Justice D P Madon
They say cricket is not a game, it is a religion. In 2019, the
India – Pakistan ICC World Cup match saw a viewership of 229
million within India itself1. The importance of cricket
as a unifying force cannot be debated and needn't be proved;
what is rather interesting is the ancillary impact a simple match
of cricket can have on an economy, such as India.
Economic exploitation of cricket is widespread globally: it
includes broadcasting rights, sponsorship and merchandising, to
name a few. However, another prevalent and illegal exploitation in
the form of betting takes precedence over all of the above, for the
simple reason that due to the nature of the transaction, the said
consideration paid, is officially taken out of India's
financial system and put into a parallel industry, which remains
untaxed and unregulated.
