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 versus Australia.

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

He has actually made more than 10 calls in the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, 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 bookmaker on the phone.

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

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childlike 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 unlawful in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited wagering distributes prosper in the country.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank 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 cash not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of sports betting in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gambling, 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 individuals have actually registered accounts with overseas firms.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes in the performance 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 actually 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 likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a huge organization chance for licensed bookmakers and global online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable approach of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering since (some) people would not want to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," says Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

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

"Even though lots of people are involved in some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial issue for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need 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," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having been backed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually fired up around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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