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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 house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

He has made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep modifying his bet.

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

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

And a few minutes later his forecast comes real, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters place 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 specific run scorer.

Most of these deals involve so-called "black money", which is money not declared to the taxman.

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

And overseas sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with overseas companies.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest modifications in the functioning 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 been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

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

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

It would likewise open a big organization chance for and worldwide online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make deals associated with sports betting more transparent.

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

But lots of also think, that the taxes levied on the bettor 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 prohibited wagering because (some) individuals wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted money to position big bets will never gamble legally.

Approval question

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

"Even however lots of people are associated with some sort of gambling - it's still a controversial issue for many," states our unnamed punter.

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The process is so long and tricky that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this ending up being a reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually ignited around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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