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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 go to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is seeing the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.

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 money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

And a few minutes later his forecast 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 three years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

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

'Black cash'

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's prohibited sports betting wagering market deserves some $150bn a year. And much of that gambling money is directed towards cricket.
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With no legal avenue, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

Most of these deals include 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, however unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

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

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which control the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest 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 came to light.

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax profits for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the right direction.

"I don't mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket gambler.

It would also open a huge chance for licensed bookmakers and worldwide online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals included in sports betting more transparent.

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

But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookie will need to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting since (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted cash to put big bets will never gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

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

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

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a debate has fired up around a subject - which previously was considered a taboo.
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