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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 requiring 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is watching the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

He has actually made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep modifying his bet.

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

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

And a few minutes later his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

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

Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, unlawful wagering distributes flourish in the country.

'Black cash'

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

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

The majority of these deals involve so-called "black cash", which is money not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gaming in India, however unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting web gaming, there is nothing comparable here.

And overseas sports betting companies are using this loophole to draw Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with overseas companies.

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

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would assist secure down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulatory body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some players and group were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

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

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

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

It would also open a substantial organization chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting business to set up operations in India.

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

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have a really reliable approach of stamping out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But lots of also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will need to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting because (some) individuals wouldn't wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted money to put huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to offer.

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

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their territory.

"The procedure is so long and tricky that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this becoming a truth anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by an official panel for the first time, a minimum of a debate has actually sparked around a subject - which until now was considered a taboo.
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