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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 reporter

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

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is viewing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right hand.

He has made more than 10 hire the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookie on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates grow 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 bookies. Gamblers can bet 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 money not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gaming, there is absolutely nothing similar here.

And overseas wagering companies are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually signed up accounts with overseas firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulative 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 group authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.
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The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal instructions.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would also open a big business opportunity for certified bookies and worldwide online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make deals associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a really efficient approach of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

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

However, there are restrictions.

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

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

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to produce a brand-new law, and politically this will be a hard idea to offer.

"Even though many individuals are included in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial problem for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting 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 ending up being a reality anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has actually fired up around a subject - which until now was thought about a taboo.
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