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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 against Australia.

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

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

Five minutes earlier his money 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 on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

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

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

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal avenue, 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 highest private run scorer.

The majority of these deals include so-called "black cash", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law forbiding internet gambling, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas sports betting companies are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have registered accounts with offshore companies.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.
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The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest changes in the performance of India's cricket regulatory 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 two years after some gamers and team authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the best instructions.

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

It would likewise open a substantial business chance for certified bookies and international online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work together with sports betting business, you will have a really efficient technique of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But numerous also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) people would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to position big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Although many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable problem for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And given that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law 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 cynical about this coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually fired up around a subject - which previously was considered a taboo.
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