Legalising gambling in India

Gambling in India is not uncommon. The rightful of Pandu's sons gambled with their wife and kingdom. Shopkeeper's gamble everyday with what they stock and what should be thrown out. The stock exchanges are sophisticated and to a certain extent calculated gambles, a man makes. Travelling on the footboard of a bus or a train, college youth and even 50 year old uncles, gamble with their lives everyday in India.  Gambling with money, although very common, is a taboo in our country.

People, from all strata of the society gamble with money every day. An unverified and therefore inaccurate report states that the 'matka' gambling business in Mumbai has a turnover of about 1000 crores on a monthly basis. This number is inaccurate and the actual figure is very likely to be greater than 1k crores. Indians have gambled on cotton rates in the New York cotton market, then, the-then-called, Bombay cotton exchange, moving to horse-racing (which is legal) and the sport that binds the nation, cricket. With the Men in Blue, playing more matches every season and newer teams being added to the nation's Premier League, one can only expect the number of bets to rise and make money for people and bookies alike. 

If people are making money by gambling, then why shouldn't the government ? Lottery was considered a taboo in the country until a few years ago. A decade ago, the Sikkim state government took a bold step and set up a nationwide lottery system. Having made 76 crorepati's (more than KBC 1,2,3, 4, 5 and other game shows that came in the era combined) and giving off over 10,000 crores as prize money (all from Playwin's website), the government too has made good money for developmental work, which is seen in a better GDP, lower infant mortality rate and better teacher to pupil ratio as compared to the rest of the country. 

Likewise, gambling on sports, current events and what ever possible must be allowed in the country. Let there be a compulsary fee on every bet placed and deductions from every win. Even with these, people will bet, bet for fun, bet to win, because we like to gamble. Each and everyone of us likes to gamble. 

This will also save a lot of good money from being unaccounted, bring that into government control and in forms of taxes and deductions be available for spending on public necessities. Why lose good money to a bunch of people, who then stash it away somewhere. Legalise gambling, bring that spending under government eyes. Money used for betting would also have to come from a clean source. We could always offer better returns like Ratan Khatri did, in his prime. 

Its a gamble we can definitely take. 

Just one of my ideas for a better India!