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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 requiring 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is viewing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his right-hand man.

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

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman gets ready to face the last over he's altered his mind.
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"I believe India is winning, make the change," he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, illegal wagering distributes flourish in the country.

'Black money'

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

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

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gambling, there is absolutely nothing similar here.

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

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gaming," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls 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 concept, saying it would assist clamp 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 sports betting scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some players and team authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that could 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 cash out my revenues, as long as I can bet publicly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a substantial organization chance for licensed bookmakers and worldwide online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make transactions included in gambling more transparent.

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

But lots of also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will need to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting because (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to put big bets will never ever bet legally.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are involved in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial concern for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and challenging 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 actually been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a debate has sparked around a which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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