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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 runs to win against Australia.

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

He has actually made more than 10 hire the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep revising his bet.
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Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

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

And a few minutes later on his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

For more than three years he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.
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Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates grow in the country.

'Black money'

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 put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is money not declared 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 prohibiting internet gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

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

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

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

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend modifications in the performance of India's cricket regulatory 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 players and team authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax profits for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

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

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

It would also open a substantial service chance for licensed bookies and international 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 deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have a really reliable method of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But lots of 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 bet legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to sell.
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"Although numerous individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable concern for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.

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

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