IPL Twenty 20 Series Responsible for High Online Betting

The immense popularity of IPL Twenty 20 tournament is responsible for bringing a storm of online betting by the cricket lovers, but as the betting in not lawful in India, at least some of the action has traveled to the offshore websites. This week, Economic Times in London explored the phenomena, reporting that the famous bookmakers of Britain, Paddy Power and William Hill are acknowledging online bets from India.

The article has quoted Mr. Rupert who is a spokesperson for William Hill, who estimated that his company will be making £4 through the current IPL series only. He confirmed that they acknowledge online bets from India and America is the only country they don’t accept bets from. However, 80% of their IPL online betting comes from Britain residents and 20% from abroad jurisdictions.

It was noted by the publication that the sites like Betfair, Paddy Power, and William Hill are authorized and regulated under the laws of Britain. One of the online gambling consultants told the reporter, just in case the Indians are violating local laws in India, it will not influence the bookmakers in Britain which are working under British law. Main bookmakers usually obey the rules, even outside jurisdiction.

In the end of the article it is given that in India the online gambling falls in between IT Act and Public Gaming Act, neither of which deals with topic straightforwardly. The legal view states that the online gambling is one way or another against the law.

One of the Indian law experts, Mr. Ameet said that an online betting and gambling website cannot be hosted from a state which prohibits betting or gambling. However it is arguable as whether it is allowed for a person to involve in the online betting and gambling from a state which prohibits betting even though the online betting website would be hosted from a jurisdiction which allows betting.

One more Indian lawyer, Mr. Anand said that The Public Gambling Act, 1867 provides for punishment just in case a person is found in the gaming house. FEMA forbids the locals of India to send money overseas for the buying of lottery tickets and sweepstakes. But there is no particular prohibition in Indian law for online gambling hosted on a website which is not in India.