New Delhi, May 12 (PTI) The controversial SMS game introduced in the IPL, which evoked strong criticism for promoting to gambling, was today discontinued with the games' inventors taking note of the apprehensions expressed by Sports Minister M S Gill and many former cricketers.
Although no pressure was put for the game to be withdrawn, the organisers decided to stop it with immediate effect.
"There was no formal complaints about the game but the Sports Ministers' views were taken into account and the organisers have withdrawn the game," senior BCCI official and a member of the IPL Executive Board Rajiv Shukla told PTI.
Gill had last week denounced the SMS game in which fans made ball by ball predictions for cash prizes, saying it amounted to gambling.
"I see the commercial use of cricket for business gains, that is going on. I am concerned, at knowledgeable comments, from serious followers of cricket about the latest venture of encouraging viewers to make ball by ball predictions of runs scored for economic gain in the shape of cash prizes," Gill had said in a statement.
"This is viewed as 'openly encouraging gambling and betting', which official bodies do not resort to, even in countries where betting is legal; all this 'to make money and enlarge their TV viewership base'," the minister had added.
Although no pressure was put for the game to be withdrawn, the organisers decided to stop it with immediate effect.
"There was no formal complaints about the game but the Sports Ministers' views were taken into account and the organisers have withdrawn the game," senior BCCI official and a member of the IPL Executive Board Rajiv Shukla told PTI.
Gill had last week denounced the SMS game in which fans made ball by ball predictions for cash prizes, saying it amounted to gambling.
"I see the commercial use of cricket for business gains, that is going on. I am concerned, at knowledgeable comments, from serious followers of cricket about the latest venture of encouraging viewers to make ball by ball predictions of runs scored for economic gain in the shape of cash prizes," Gill had said in a statement.
"This is viewed as 'openly encouraging gambling and betting', which official bodies do not resort to, even in countries where betting is legal; all this 'to make money and enlarge their TV viewership base'," the minister had added.
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