Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
bet9ja.com
Published
bit.ly
5 February 2016

Share

close panel

Share page

Copy link

About sharing

By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business reporter
bet9ja.com
It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 go to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main 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 contact the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep revising his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookie on the phone.

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

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

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

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

'Black cash'

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

With no 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 greatest specific run scorer.

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

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

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

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest 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 sports betting scandal came to light.

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a huge company chance for licensed bookmakers and global online wagering business to establish operations in India.

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

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

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

However, there are restrictions.
bet9ja.com
"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering because (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to put big bets will never gamble legally.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable concern for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

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

Yet with the concept having been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has actually fired up around a subject - which previously was considered a taboo.
bet9ja.com