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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
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Published

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 versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.

He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to face the last over he's changed his mind.

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

And a few minutes later his prediction 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 decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes prosper in the country.

'Black money'

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

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

The majority of these deals involve 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, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gambling, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online sports betting out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

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

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes 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 been banned for 2 years after some players and team officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket gambler.
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It would likewise open a big business chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

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

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a very effective method of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But many likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are restrictions.

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

He adds that people who utilize unaccounted cash to place big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a brand-new law, and politically this will be a hard idea to offer.

"Even though many individuals are involved in some sort of gambling - 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 also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.

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

Yet with the concept having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least an argument has fired up around a topic - which till now was considered a taboo.
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