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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 press reporter

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

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is watching the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful wagering distributes thrive in the nation.

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

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

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

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

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

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gaming," 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 in cricket has actually grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would assist secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications in the performance of India's cricket regulatory 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 players and team authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax earnings 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 cash out my profits, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a substantial organization chance for licensed bookies and international online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

And it would assist limit match repairing 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 an extremely efficient approach of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But many likewise believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted money to put big bets will never ever gamble lawfully.
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Approval concern

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

"Although many individuals are associated with some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial issue for many," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their area.

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

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