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

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

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

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

And a couple of minutes later his prediction becomes a reality, 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 3 decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful 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 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 cash is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal opportunity, 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 greatest individual run scorer.

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

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

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

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is unclear for online gambling," says Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

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

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would help clamp down on corruption in the nation's preferred 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 been banned for two years after some gamers and team officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax earnings for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a substantial company chance for certified bookies and global online wagering companies to in India.

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

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable approach of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But lots of likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting due to the fact that (some) people would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted cash to place big 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 tough concept to offer.

"Despite the fact that many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable problem for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their area.
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"The process is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this ending up being a reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has ignited around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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