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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 versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his best hand.

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

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

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

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

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

For more than three years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates grow in the nation.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

Most of these deals include 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, however unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web sports betting, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And offshore wagering business are using this loophole to draw Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest changes in the performance of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League sports betting scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my profits, as long as I can gamble publicly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a substantial company opportunity for certified bookmakers and worldwide online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match fixing in and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make deals involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with sports betting business, you will have a really effective technique of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But lots of also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to place huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

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

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

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by an official panel for the first time, at least a debate has actually fired up around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.