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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
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5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is viewing the video 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 earlier his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.
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And a couple of minutes later on his prediction comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.
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"I have actually made $200 today," he states with a childlike 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.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates thrive in the country.
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'Black cash'

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's prohibited 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 put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gambling, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting companies are utilizing this loophole to draw Indians. Although there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Require legalisation

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

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

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax revenues for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the right instructions.

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

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

And it would assist limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have an extremely efficient method of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are limitations.

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

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to put huge bets will never bet legally.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a brand-new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to sell.

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

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also 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 negative about this coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually ignited around a topic - which till now was thought about a taboo.
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