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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 reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India requiring 17 runs to win versus Australia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more than three decades 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 in India. Despite that, prohibited 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 is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting money is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal opportunity, punters position 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 greatest specific run scorer.

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

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

And overseas sports betting business are using this loophole to entice Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through telephone call which control the marketplace.

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has 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 favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established 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.
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Two franchises have been prohibited for two years after some gamers and group officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a substantial business chance for licensed bookmakers and global online sports betting business to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have a very effective method of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But many also believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be affordable to make it attractive 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 path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted money to big bets will never gamble legally.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to offer.

"Although many individuals are associated with some sort of gambling - it's still a controversial concern for many," says our unnamed punter.

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

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually fired up around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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