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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering 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 home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his smart phone glued to his ideal hand.

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

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

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

And a couple of minutes later on his prediction comes to life, as the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

For more than 3 decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes thrive in the country.

'Black money'

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

With no legal avenue, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

The majority of these deals include so-called "black money", which is money not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gaming in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gambling, there is nothing comparable here.

And offshore sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to entice Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with overseas companies.

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

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which dominate the marketplace.

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has 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 suggest modifications in the performance of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for two years after some players and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

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

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the right instructions.
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"I do not mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a huge business chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work along with wagering companies, you will have a really effective approach of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting since (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to put huge bets will never bet lawfully.

Approval question

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

"Even however lots of people are associated with 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 need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a reality anytime soon."

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