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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
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Published

5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business press reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 go to win versus Australia.

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

He has actually made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.

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

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates thrive in the nation.

'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.

With no legal avenue, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest individual run scorer.

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

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

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, saying it would help clamp down on corruption in the country's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established 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.
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Two franchises have been prohibited for two years after some gamers and group officials were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the ideal direction.

"I don't mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," states our cricket bettor.

It would also open a big service chance for certified bookmakers and worldwide online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would assist limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have a really effective approach of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But lots of also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting because (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

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

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to sell.

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

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The process is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually sparked around a subject - which till now was considered a taboo.
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