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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 versus Australia.

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

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

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

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he his bookie on the phone.
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And a few minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates thrive in the nation.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters place 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 private run scorer.

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

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

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would assist secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up 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 wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some gamers and group officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookies.

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

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

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

It would also open a huge company chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting business to establish operations in India.

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

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

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

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting since (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to put huge bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Although many people are included in some sort of gambling - it's still a controversial problem for lots of," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The process is so long and tricky that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this ending up being a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has actually sparked around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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