The Case for Legalized Gambling in Pakistan

Home » Poker News » The Case for Legalized Gambling in Pakistan

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016 | Written by Lucy Brown

The debate about whether or not to legalize online gambling, and what form that regulation should take is not just an issue hotly debated in the U.S. and Europe. In parts of Asia, for instance, many people are starting to speak out in favor of legal online gambling, including in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a country of more than 182 million people. Recently, a Pakistani journalist published an opinion piece in The Nation that perfectly summarizes the arguments for bringing online gambling into the open, and allowing it to occur legally under the control of the national government in Islamabad.

Current State of Gambling in Pakistan

In his opinion piece, Haroon Riaz briefly outlined the current state of gambling in Pakistan. At the present time, all types of online gambling are illegal, as are casino games at brick and mortar casinos. Horse racing is legal in the country, primarily because it has long been a favorite past time of wealthy Pakistanis. The government can also sponsor events that involve gambling, but no private individual or company is permitted to hold such events without direct government permission, which seems to be rarely given. The gambling laws in Pakistan were established by the Prevention of Gambling Act 1977 long before the Internet was a concept. Remarkably, some parts of Pakistan are still using regulations from The Public Gambling Act of 1867 to deal with gambling issues.

Arguments Against Legalizing Online Gambling

Riaz does a fine job of explaining why there is opposition to legalized iGambling in Pakistan, and why lawmakers do not seem to be in a rush to do anything about the country’s antiquated set of laws. As in many parts of the world, gambling is considered by many Pakistanis to be a vice, and there are serious concerns about the risks of gambling addiction. In a country where many people live in poverty, there are also concerns about people gambling away what little savings they have. Still, Riaz argues that while legitimate concerns exist, people should be free to make their own moral and financial decisions regarding whether or not to gamble.

Arguments for Legalizing Online Gambling

After outlining the current state of gambling in Pakistan, Riaz presents his argument as to why it’s time for a change in Pakistan. He states that even though there is a ban on gambling, Pakistanis still find ways to place bets and to gamble, but at the present time, the revenues generated go to fund organized crime and offshore companies. Riaz feels that by legalizing gambling and bringing it under the control of the government, crime would be reduced. He also states that the Pakistani government would gain valuable revenue in the form of tax dollars.

Riaz closes his piece by discussing so-called gambling games of skill, urging Pakistan to legalize not only online poker and online casino games but also online fantasy sports betting on popular cricket and football leagues. Only time will tell if more voices will join Riaz’s in calling for a change in gambling policy in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s First Legal Betting Platform

While the debate rages on, Pakistan is set to launch its first ever legal online betting platform, albeit one in which players will have no worries about losing their own money. The webiste, Titled Punter Babu, is fronted by the singer Ali Aftab Saeed and will initially focus on allowing players to place only virtual wagers on the Pakistan Super League (PSL). As Saeed explains:

“We would allot punters virtual money and they can place bets on different scenarios within the game such as the batting order or who would take the most wickets.”

Allaying any concerns that players may be tempted to trade in the points they earn for real money, Saeed stated that anyone attempting to do so would have their access blocked to the site. Further highlighting the difficulty players would have in trying to contravene the site’s conditions of service, Saeed said that unlike in Zynga poker where two players can deliberately lose chips to another person, in Punter Babu players compete against a computer system.

Following its initial launch this month, Titled Punter Babu is aiming to branch out from featuring just cricket matches to also include other popular sports, including tennis and football.