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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
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Published

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 versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

He has made more than 10 hire the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep revising his bet.
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Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman gets all set to face the last over he's altered his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.
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And a few minutes later his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have 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 illegal in India.
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Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates flourish in the country.

'Black money'

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

With no legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest individual run scorer.
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The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is money 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 prohibiting internet sports betting, there is nothing comparable here.

And offshore 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 companies.

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gaming," says Mumbai- based attorney 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 grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist secure down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest modifications 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 2 years after some gamers and team authorities were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax profits for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

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

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

It would likewise open a big company opportunity for licensed bookmakers and global online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make deals included in gambling more transparent.

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

But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to sell.

"Even however numerous people are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial concern for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

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

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