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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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Published

5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business press reporter
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It is the last over of the cricket match, with India requiring 17 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is watching the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his smart phone glued to his right hand.

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

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

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

And a couple of minutes later his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

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

'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 money is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

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

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

And overseas sports betting companies are utilizing this loophole to entice Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with overseas companies.

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

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which control the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes 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 came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some gamers and group authorities were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.
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Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal instructions.

"I don't mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a big business opportunity for certified bookmakers and worldwide online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals included in gambling more transparent.

"If you work along with wagering companies, you will have a very effective method of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But lots of also think, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting since (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to position huge bets will never gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to sell.

"Even however lots of people are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable problem for lots of," states our unnamed punter.
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And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.

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

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually sparked around a topic - which until now was considered a taboo.
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