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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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Published

5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business press reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

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

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, however now as the Indian batsman gets prepared to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childish glee.

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

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, illegal wagering syndicates grow 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.

Without any legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these transactions include so-called "black cash", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

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

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

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online sports betting," says Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which control the marketplace.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes in the performance of India's cricket regulatory body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal emerged.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax profits for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the right direction.

"I do not mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would also open a big service chance for licensed bookies and international online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals included in gambling more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have a really effective method of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting since (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted money to position big bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to offer.

"Despite the fact that many people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial issue for many," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The procedure is so long and tricky that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this becoming a reality anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a debate has ignited around a topic - which till now was considered a taboo.
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