Date:12/10/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/10/12/stories/2003101206480601.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

Call to ban online lottery

Bangalore Oct. 11. The senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Home Minister, P.G.R. Sindhia, has demanded a ban on on-line lottery in the State and said apart from the serious drought, the lottery was a major reason for suicide by farmers.

He told presspersons here today that going by the "patronage" extended to the lottery operators by the State Government, it was evident that there was a "secret understanding" between the Government and the lottery operators. While the operators enjoyed a turnover of Rs. 5,000 crores a year, the revenue to the Government was a meagre Rs. 50 crores.