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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 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his right hand.

He has actually made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money 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 informs his bookie on the phone.

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

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited wagering distributes prosper 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.

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

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

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

And overseas sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with overseas firms.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online gaming," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist secure down on corruption in the nation'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 banned for 2 years after some gamers and group officials were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the best instructions.

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

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

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a very effective technique of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited wagering since (some) people would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a tough idea to offer.

"Even however lots of people are included in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial concern for lots of," says our unnamed punter.
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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 territory.
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"The process is so long and tricky that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of an has actually ignited around a topic - which previously was considered a taboo.