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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 press reporter

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

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

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

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, however now as the Indian batsman gets prepared to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

For more than three years he's been sports betting on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is prohibited in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates prosper in the nation.

'Black cash'

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

With no legal opportunity, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web sports betting, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting companies are using this loophole to entice Indians. Even though 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 unclear for online sports betting," states Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But regardless of this, it is "offline gaming", done through call which dominate the marketplace.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest 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 actually been banned for two years after some gamers and team officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the right direction.

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

It would also open a big company chance for licensed bookies and worldwide online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make transactions included in gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have a really efficient technique of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting because (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted money to place big bets will never gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that lots of people are included in some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The procedure is so long and tricky that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a debate has ignited around a topic - which previously was considered a taboo.