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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 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is seeing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right hand.

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

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

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

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

For more than 3 years he's been wagering 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, illegal sports betting syndicates thrive in the nation.
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'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 cash is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest individual run scorer.

The majority of these transactions include so-called "black cash", which is cash not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet sports betting, there is nothing similar 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 registered accounts with overseas companies.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online sports betting," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which control the marketplace.

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel appointed 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 set up to suggest modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have actually been banned for two years after some players and team authorities were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

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

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the best direction.

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

It would also open a substantial organization chance for licensed bookmakers and global online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable technique of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But numerous likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering because (some) people would not desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to place big bets will never ever bet legally.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to produce 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 gaming - it's still a questionable problem for many," says our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.

"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

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