Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi
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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 house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile 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 modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman gets all set to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells 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 finish.
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"I have actually made $200 today," he states with a childish 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 unlawful in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful sports betting distributes flourish in the country.

'Black cash'

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

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

Most of these transactions include so-called "black cash", which is money not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of sports betting in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gambling, there is absolutely nothing similar here.

And offshore wagering business are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with overseas firms.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online gaming," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

But regardless of this, it is "offline gambling", done through phone calls which control the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications 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.
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Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a huge company chance for licensed bookies and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would assist limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have a really reliable approach of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a website, India Bet.

But lots of likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are limitations.

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

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted cash to put huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Even though many people are associated with some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial concern for many," says our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling 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 cynical about this becoming a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has sparked around a subject - which up until now was considered a taboo.