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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 needing 17 runs to win against Australia.

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

He has made more than 10 hire the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal sports betting distributes flourish in the nation.

'Black money'

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

With no legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest specific run scorer.

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

The 1867 Act bars any sort of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting web sports betting, there is nothing comparable here.

And overseas wagering companies are using this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have signed up accounts with offshore firms.

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gambling," states Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which dominate the market.
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Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has actually grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would help clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest changes in the functioning of India's cricket regulatory 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 banned for two years after some gamers and team authorities were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I do not mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would also open a big service opportunity for licensed bookies and international online sports betting business to set up operations in India.

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

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

But many also believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted money to put big bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval concern

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard idea to offer.

"Although lots of people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable problem for many," states our unnamed punter.

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

Yet with the concept having been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has actually ignited around a topic - which up until now was considered a taboo.