Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is viewing the video 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 employ the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

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

And a couple of minutes later his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

"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 expose his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates thrive in the country.

'Black cash'

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's illegal sports betting wagering market deserves 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 bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest specific run scorer.

Most of these deals include so-called "black cash", which is cash not stated 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 prohibiting internet gaming, there is nothing similar here.

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

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which dominate the .

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes in the functioning of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League sports betting scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for two years after some players and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal direction.

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

It would likewise open a substantial company opportunity for certified bookies and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work together with sports betting business, you will have an extremely effective approach of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But numerous also think, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to place big bets will never bet legally.

Approval concern

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

"Although lots of people are involved in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial concern for many," states our unnamed punter.

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

Yet with the concept having been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of a debate has actually fired up around a topic - which previously was considered a taboo.