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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 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his smart phone glued to his best hand.

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

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.
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"I think India is winning, make the change," he tells his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later his forecast comes to life, 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 three decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, unlawful wagering distributes grow in the nation.

'Black money'

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

With no legal avenue, punters position 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 highest specific run scorer.

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

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

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gambling", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Calls for 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 assist clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established 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 prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.

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

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the best instructions.

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

It would also open a big business chance for licensed bookies and worldwide online sports betting business to establish operations in India.
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And it would assist restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions included in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have an extremely effective method of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

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

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering because (some) individuals would not want to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who utilize unaccounted money to put big bets will never bet legally.

Approval question

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

"Although many individuals are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable concern 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 area.

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

Yet with the concept having been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has ignited around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.