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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 reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his ideal hand.

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

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

"I believe India is winning, make the modification," 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 finish.

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

For more than 3 years he's been sports betting on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is prohibited in India.

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

'Black cash'

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.

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

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

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

And offshore wagering business are using this loophole to draw Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with offshore firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which dominate the marketplace.

Require legalisation
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The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would help clamp down on corruption in the country's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up 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 been banned for two years after some gamers and group authorities were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.
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The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax profits for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal direction.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," says our cricket bettor.

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

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

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have an extremely reliable technique of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.
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But lots of also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be prohibited wagering due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted money to place big bets will never gamble lawfully.

Approval question

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

"Even however lots of people are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial issue for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also 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 coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has ignited around a subject - which until now was thought about a taboo.