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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 house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his right hand.

He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep modifying his bet.

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

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

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

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

For more than 3 decades he's been wagering 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 allowed India. Despite that, illegal wagering distributes grow in the country.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest private run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of sports betting in India, however unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting web gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas wagering business are using this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with overseas firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through call which dominate the market.

Require 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 help clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes in the functioning 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 two years after some players and group officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

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

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

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

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

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have a really reliable technique of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

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

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to sell.

"Despite the fact that lots of people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial issue for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And provided 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 process 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 concept having been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually fired up around a subject - which until now was thought about a taboo.