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 needing 17 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

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

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

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

And a few minutes later on his forecast becomes a reality, 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 decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not . Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates thrive in the nation.

'Black money'

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 sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.

With no legal opportunity, punters put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

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

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

And overseas sports betting companies are using this loophole to entice Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with offshore companies.

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

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

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest changes in the performance 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 two years after some players and group authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the ideal direction.

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

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

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

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have a very effective technique of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.
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But many also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) people would not wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.
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He adds that people who use unaccounted money to put huge bets will never bet legally.

Approval question
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For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to offer.
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"Although many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable concern for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.

"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a truth anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, at least an argument has actually ignited around a subject - which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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