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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering 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 against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.
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He has actually made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep revising his bet.

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

"I believe India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookie on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later on his prediction comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes flourish in the country.

'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 money is directed towards cricket.

With no legal opportunity, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

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

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

And offshore sports betting companies are using this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with offshore firms.

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

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

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes 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 emerged.

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team officials were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate 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.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can bet publicly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a huge company opportunity for licensed bookies and international online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have an extremely efficient approach of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will have to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting since (some) people would not want to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

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

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard idea to sell.

"Even however numerous individuals are involved in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial concern for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a 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 negative about this becoming a reality anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has fired up around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.