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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India

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5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India requiring 17 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his best hand.

He has actually made more than 10 contact the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he's changed his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have actually made $200 today," he says with a childlike glee.

For more than 3 years he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal wagering distributes flourish in the nation.

'Black cash'

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's prohibited sports betting market is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that gambling cash is directed towards cricket.

With no legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest specific run scorer.

Most of these so-called "black money", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of sports betting in India, but unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web sports betting, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore wagering business are using this loophole to entice Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with overseas companies.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is unclear for online gambling," states Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, saying it would help secure down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications in the performance of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax profits for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the best direction.

"I don't mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a huge organization chance for licensed bookmakers and international online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would assist limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have a really reliable technique of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But many also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted money to position big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to produce a brand-new law, and politically this will be a tough idea to offer.

"Although many individuals are included in some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable problem for many," states our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least an argument has fired up around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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