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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
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Mumbai Business press reporter

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

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

He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, 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 informs his bookmaker on the phone.

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

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

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

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, unlawful sports betting syndicates flourish in the nation.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

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

The 1867 Act bars any type of sports betting in India, but unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web sports betting, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting business are using this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have signed up accounts with offshore companies.

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is unclear for online gambling," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

But regardless of this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which dominate the market.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up 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 wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some players and group authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

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

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the best direction.
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"I don't mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would also open a substantial business chance for licensed bookies and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work together with wagering companies, you will have a really effective approach of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, 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 attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting due to the fact that (some) people would not wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted money to put big bets will never bet lawfully.

Approval question

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

"Even however many individuals are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable problem for many," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and difficult 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 actually been backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least an argument has actually ignited around a subject - which until now was considered a taboo.
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