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
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It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is viewing the game, nervously. He's resting 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 contact the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match but to keep modifying his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his forecast comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates grow 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 put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. 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 include so-called "black cash", which is money not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Act bars any sort of gaming in India, however unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web gaming, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with offshore firms.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline gambling", 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, stating it would assist secure down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.
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The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest changes in the functioning 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 gamers and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

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

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

"I don't mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a substantial business chance for certified bookies and international online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would assist limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals included in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have a really effective technique of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals wouldn't want to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted cash to position huge bets will never bet legally.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a brand-new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to offer.

"Even though lots of people are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial issue for many," states our unnamed punter.

And considered 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 procedure is so long and tricky 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 first time, at least a dispute has sparked around a topic - which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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