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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 requiring 17 go to win against Australia.

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

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

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman gets prepared to face the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookie on the phone.
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And a couple of minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have made $200 today," he says with a childlike glee.
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For more than three decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal sports betting distributes thrive in the nation.

'Black money'

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 sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.

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

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

The 1867 Public Gambling 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 comparable here.

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation
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The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, saying it would help clamp down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.

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

Two franchises have actually been banned for two years after some gamers and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the right instructions.

"I don't mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a huge service chance for certified bookmakers and international online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make transactions involved in gambling more transparent.

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

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted money to place huge bets will never ever gamble 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 idea to sell.

"Despite the fact that many people are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable issue for many," states our unnamed punter.
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And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting 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 becoming a reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having been backed by a main panel for the first time, at least a dispute has actually ignited around a topic - which up until now was thought about a taboo.