Match fixing in sports and its legal implications

Abstract

Sport is such a competitive physical activity that is aimed to maintain or enhance physical ability of individuals and provide entertainment to participants and spectators as well. Development of games has denoted another time of giving overall diversion to the onlookers and the gathering of people. The content of entertainment factor has increased to such a frightening extent that now sports has deserted its true virtue and entered the entertainment field solely. The Indian Premier League is the biggest example of this where rich businessmen to top celebrities invest their golden fortune to entertain the audience via cricket. Such a scenario, where millions of rupees are at stake, is the nesting ground for corruption, cheating and gambling. In organized sports like cricket, football, basketball etc. match fixing and gambling has become the part and parcel. Allegations of match-fixing are not new to sport and have been around for a considerable period of time. However, it is still not clear what, if at all anything, can be done by the law, about match-fixing as it is a form of conduct which does not neatly fall into any particular category. Nonetheless, considering the way that business game possesses an inexorably critical position in society today, it is entirely clear that something must be done. By looking at the instances and concepts involved in as well as nature of match-fixing as well as the existing framework of penal laws in India and other sanctions which may apply to it, this paper argues that criminal liability should be imposed on match-fixing.