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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India

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 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is watching the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.

He has actually made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, but now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

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

And a few minutes later his prediction comes to life, 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 sports betting on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates grow in the country.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest private run scorer.

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

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

And offshore wagering companies are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with overseas firms.

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through telephone call which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating 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 came to light.

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team 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 revenues for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.
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Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the best instructions.

"I do not mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a substantial business chance for certified bookies and worldwide online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have a very effective approach of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

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

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

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this becoming a reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has actually fired up around a subject - which until now was considered a taboo.
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