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

He has actually made more than 10 hire the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match but to keep revising his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the change," 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 finish.

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

For more than 3 decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose 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 distributes thrive in the country.

'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 gambling cash is directed towards cricket.

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

The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black cash", which is cash 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 forbiding web gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas wagering companies are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have actually registered accounts with offshore companies.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", 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, stating it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend 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 prohibited for two years after some players and team authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my profits, as long as I can gamble openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a huge organization opportunity for licensed bookmakers and international online sports betting business to establish operations in India.

And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work along with sports betting business, you will have a very efficient approach of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But many also believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

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

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted money to place big bets will never bet lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to produce a new law, and this will be a tough idea to sell.

"Even though numerous individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable concern for lots of," says 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.
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"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this becoming a reality anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually fired up around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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