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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 situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is viewing the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right-hand man.

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

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

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

And a couple of minutes later his prediction comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, unlawful wagering distributes grow 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 sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

The majority of these deals involve so-called "black money", which is cash not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gaming, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore wagering business are utilizing this loophole to entice Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with overseas companies.

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist clamp down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up 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 sports betting scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for two years after some gamers and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can bet publicly," says our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a substantial organization chance for certified bookies and global online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would assist limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have an extremely effective technique of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

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

"Although numerous individuals are included in some sort of gambling - it's still a questionable issue for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

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

"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has fired up around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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