Racing fraternity divided over use of mobile phones during races

Racing fraternity divided over use of mobile phones during races
Shailendra Awasthi

Mumbai, January 16: The newly inducted committee of the cash starving Royal Western India Turf Club Ltd. (RWITC) under the chairmanship of KN Dhunjibhoy faces its first real test over the decision to allow use of Mobile phones at Mumbai and Pune race courses during races on an experimental basis. The racing fraternity is sharply divided over the outcome of this experiment.

The RWITC committee in its recent decision has permitted the use of Mobile from January 21 on racedays and days on which the intervenue betting is conducted at all premises under its control including the Mumbai and Pune race courses, at the Turf Club House, Pune and off-course betting centres on payment of Rs 1000 per Mobile phone per person for each race day. The racegoers intends to use Mobile will have to obtain a daily ‘‘Non-transferable’’ badges from Club and display these badges at all times.

This decision has met with mix reactions. One section of the racegoers feels that this will help people remain in touch with outside world as at present use of Mobile is not allowed and everyone who enters race course has to submit their Mobile to the authorities which leaves him isolated at the race course. But the others think that it will encourage the illegal betting thus resulting in heavy losses to the Club and the government.

Vivek Jain, the member of the present committee and person responsible for the revenue increasing gimmicks hopes that use of Mobile will help increase the revenue. ‘‘We have taken this decision with the consent of Bookmakers and they were of the opinion that there is no harm in experimenting as the same experiment at the Delhi Race Club and Madras Race Club has been successful and showed great improvements in their revenue ’’, said Vivek Jain.

Sheriar Rustom Irani, the leading bookmaker in Western India is skeptical about the outcome of the experiment. ‘‘Since we pay attractive odds in the ring we hope that punters (person who bets) will come to us and even those who cannot make it to the race course due to their busy schedule can place their bets on phone’’ said Sheriar. But he doesn’t rule out the prospect of punters going into the arms of illegal bookies to avoid the tax net. ‘‘Only time will tell’’ he added.

Vivek Jain too felt that until the present tax structure in which a punter has to pay 26 percent tax in ring is in force, the possibility of the punters falling out for illegal bookies. Jain said ‘‘The illegal betting was there, is there and will remain so. We are trying our best to curb it through various checks but this is like a fact of life. Our tax structure encourages such activity and we are helpless in this regard’’.Ram Khanna, the promoter of Forum For Fair and Clean Racing (FFCR) expressed surprise on this decision. According to him this will definitely harm the interest of Sport. ‘‘This will help illegal bookies and will amount to great revenue loss’’ he said. He was surprised how government okayed the use of Mobile in the first place. He felt that this is pity gimmick by Club just to increase their revenue at the cost of common racegoers interest.

But Vivek Jain was quick to defend the decision stating that this just on the experimental basis and the committee will review the outcome on daily basis and if it is found to be going against our aim we will discontinue it. Major SK Lamba, the member of Club and a racing enthusiast for over forty years feels that this in not a bad move as this will help punters to remain in touch with their business affairs and home as many of them don’t come on weekday’s just for the lack of proper communication facility.

On the other hand, JV Shukla, the editor of the leading race card ‘The Lucky Spinner’ feels that this will harm the interest of the Sport and will only help in sharp fall in revenue as the punter will now have a medium to place their last minute betting with outside bookies. It remains to be seen how this experiment turns out but for sure it would generate good gain for Club as there are plenty who would not mind paying Rs 1000 for using phones inside the course for their own various reasons.