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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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Published

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 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying 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 actually made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, however now as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

And a few minutes later his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

For more than three years he's been sports betting 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, prohibited sports betting syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black money'

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

With no legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these deals involve so-called "black money", which is cash not declared 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 restricting web sports betting, there is nothing comparable here.

And overseas wagering business are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with offshore firms.
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"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online gaming," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest 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 sports betting scandal came to light.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some gamers and group officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax revenues for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

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

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

It would also open a huge organization chance for licensed bookies and worldwide online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make transactions involved in sports betting more .

"If you work alongside wagering companies, you will have a really efficient approach of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.
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But many 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 lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting because (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted money to put huge bets will never ever bet legally.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to sell.

"Despite the fact that many individuals are involved in some sort of gambling - 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 likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.

"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this ending up being a truth anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has actually ignited around a subject - which up until now was considered a taboo.