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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 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is viewing the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right-hand man.

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

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

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

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, unlawful sports betting distributes thrive in the country.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest individual run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting web sports betting, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas sports betting companies are using this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with overseas firms.

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which dominate the market.
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Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes 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 prohibited for two years after some players and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.
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The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the right instructions.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket gambler.

It would also open a big business opportunity for licensed bookies and global online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have an extremely effective approach of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) people would not want to leave an audit path by getting in the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted cash to put big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial issue for lots of," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their .

"The process is so long and challenging 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, a minimum of an argument has sparked around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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