The Peshawar High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition alleging that international betting companies and casinos were sponsoring the Pakistan Super League (PSL) through surrogate advertising. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) clarified that such sponsorships are prohibited for both national cricket and PSL teams.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad instructed the PCB to uphold its stance, ensuring that betting companies do not sponsor teams or display their logos on the uniforms of the national cricket team or PSL players.
The petition, filed by Syed Tanseer Ahmad Sherazi, requested the federal government investigate and stop PSL teams from being sponsored by casinos. He contested the sponsorship of PSL and PCB events by subsidiaries of international betting companies and casinos.
The bench issued a short order on the petition, with a detailed judgment to follow.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Nouman Muhib Kakakhel, argued that betting is illegal in Pakistan, yet surrogate companies sponsoring the PSL were promoting betting to the younger generation by displaying their names on team jerseys. He stated that through mobile apps available on both Android and iOS, Pakistanis could easily transfer money from their bank accounts or microfinance platforms into betting accounts.
Kakakhel also claimed that these betting companies had toll-free helplines in Pakistan, assisting users in placing bets on various sports events. He further alleged that these companies presented themselves as sports news and sports utilities manufacturers, yet their primary focus was betting. A search online revealed that many were, in fact, subsidiaries of foreign gambling corporations, sharing the same names and logos.
Advocate Shahid Qayyum Khattak, representing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), submitted documents showing that the PCB had conducted multiple meetings with stakeholders, emphasizing that no surrogate entities from gambling companies or casinos would be allowed to sponsor PSL teams or the national cricket team.
The PCB reiterated in its statement that it had informed all PSL franchises to enforce the government’s stance on banning surrogate entities. The PCB also clarified that it had never directly engaged or signed contracts with any surrogate betting company.
However, the PCB pointed out that it had no control over sponsorships during international events organized by foreign cricket boards or regulators. Refusing to participate in these events could lead to Pakistan’s isolation in the international cricket community, negatively impacting foreign teams’ willingness to play in Pakistan.
The PCB noted that a significant portion of its revenue comes from participation in ICC events like the World Cup and Champions Trophy, and withdrawing from these events would harm Pakistan cricket and hinder progress in reviving international cricket in the country.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) lawyer Jehanzeb Mehsud stated that the PTA had submitted a complaint to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) last year, asking for action against such companies and blocking their activities. The websites and apps mentioned in the petition were referred to the FIA on June 16, 2023, for investigation regarding alleged gambling.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim noted that a photo showed Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan covering a betting company’s name on his PSL shirt with tape, suggesting that even top players were uncomfortable with such sponsorships.
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