After Ban On Fantasy Games In India, Usman Khawaja Advocates Total Ban On Gambling In Sports

Betting and Fantasy games in sports have always invited extreme opinions from both sides of the spectrum when it comes to questions related to gambling in sports. While some recognise the impetus it adds while watching a sport, people and governments at large are also concerned about the gambling habits it inculcates in people. 

Taking a staunch stance on it, the Indian government recently passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025, which regulates digital platforms on sports by banning real-money games to ensure user safety and enforce responsible online play. As a result of that, the Fantasy Cricket market in India, which was worth thousands of Crores, just shut shop immediately. 

The Australian government has been contemplating a ruling like this as well, as per reports in the Indian Express, and deliberations are currently ongoing regarding it. Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja also chimed in on the debate and expressed some strong opinions against gambling in sports in the Parliament House in front of a wide delegation of policymakers. 

“The relationship that young kids are having with gambling is scary and it’s dangerous,” Khawaja said, as quoted by the Indian Express. 

“We are normalising gambling for the younger generation…I can’t watch an NRL (National Rugby League) game without getting odds right before a game. I play grade cricket with young cricketers who are coming through. There are 16-year-olds with gambling accounts and they cannot watch the game without putting a bet on.”

For Khawaja, banning gambling is the only sure-shot solution to deal with this issue. “Ban gambling from sport – it’s quite simple,” Khawaja added. 

“You have to go cold turkey, it’s the same as what happened with tobacco. We have a responsibility. If gambling is repeatedly being brought together with sport and athletes, showing you can’t watch sport without gambling, then it is a very, very dangerous precedent to set.”

The Treasurer of the Australian government, Jim Chalmers, appreciated Khawaja coming up and talking about this issue as well. 

“We have a lot of respect [for Khawaja] and we listened to him on the issues … he’s a leader of real substance, not just the leader in the faith community, but a leader more broadly,” Chalmers said.

“I take his contribution very seriously. I’m grateful … that he’s made the time to come and talk with us directly about these issues.”