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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 reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is watching the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.

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

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, but now as the Indian batsman prepares to deal with 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 his prediction comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black cash'

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

With no legal opportunity, 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 cash not stated to the taxman.

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

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

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulatory body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some gamers and group authorities were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues 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 do not mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can gamble openly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a huge service opportunity for certified bookies and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals included in gambling more transparent.

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have a really efficient technique of stamping out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting since (some) individuals wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to offer.

"Even though many individuals 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 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," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has sparked around a subject - which till now was thought about a taboo.
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