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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 press reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the 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 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.

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

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

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

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

For more than 3 years he's been sports betting on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes thrive in the nation.

'Black money'

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

With no legal opportunity, punters position 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 highest individual run scorer.

The majority of these deals include so-called "black cash", which is cash not declared to the taxman.
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The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting internet gaming, there is nothing similar here.

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

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is unclear for online gaming," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But regardless of 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 designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist clamp down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend 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 been prohibited for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can bet openly," states our cricket gambler.

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

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

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

But numerous also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted money to place big bets will never gamble legally.
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Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable issue for many," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.

"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually sparked around a topic - which until now was considered a taboo.
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