Karnataka government to make the State a Gambling free State

Bangalore, Apr 6 (UNI) Karnataka Government has plans to make Karnataka a 'Gambling Free State' by banning horse racing after it ordered stoppage of all kind of lotteries, Minister for Planning and Lotteries Ramachandragowda said today.

Speaking at a function to celebrate the 27th Founders Day of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here, he said that in the first such initiative all lotteries were banned from April one and now has plans to ban the horse racing.

He said that if horse racing was a sport the government has no objection to its continuation, however, "how can betting take place in a sport," he asked.

Mr Gowda said that the government would crack down on betting on cricket mataches. "We treat cricket as a sport similar principle should also apply to horse racing," he added.

UNI