LEGALIZING BETTING IN SPORTChapter 1IntroductionNeither gambling nor its disapproval are new concepts. Left-wing critics have historically viewed gambling as a heavy economic burden on the working class, while social conservatives continue to view gambling as a disease whose painful symptoms affect all layers of civil society. In 1852, Charles Dickens, a prominent social commentator, devoted an entire magazine article to gambling. Fifteen years later, Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote the autobiographical novel The Gambler (1866), which fascinatingly explained the psychology of problem gambling. The tone of the vast majority of media and cinematic examinations has changed little since the release of the 1974 film The Gambler, which depicted the disastrous effects of habitual gambling on the life of an otherwise level-headed college professor. The game was widespread in ancient Rome and France; it was widespread more than 3,000 years ago in Egypt and 5,000 years ago in China. However, what is new is the comparative ability to evaluate and analyze the arguments of those who claim that the ills of gambling outweigh the benefits and those who believe that the cost-benefit imbalance is the opposite. Gambling has always held a certain charm for the Indian psyche, dating back to the Mahabharata when the Pandavas lost their kingdom with a throw of the dice to today's multi-billion dollar online betting industry. Early Indian texts contain some of the earliest references to gambling in the world. Gaming has been a part of Indian culture not only for centuries, but for several millennia. The Ramayana, which dates back to over 2000 BC, makes explicit references to the game. These ancient tomes explain... middle of paper ...... media report which claimed there were over 20,000 crore of rupees (around US$4.27 billion) in illegal betting during the IPL last year. The court also criticized the police for their failure to control gambling. “The timid and lackadaisical approach of the police in arresting the perpetrators of this organized crime under the satta sector leaves an overwhelming impression that the police are not only ill-equipped to deal with such cases, but that they probably has a greater interest in pursuing this under their patronage” The court made these remarks while allowing the appeal of two individuals convicted by the lower courts under the Delhi Police Gaming Act. . The court, however, ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict the two men accused of organized betting during the 2007 World Cup match between South Africa and Australia.. .