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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 requiring 17 go to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his best hand.

He has actually made more than 10 hire the last thirty 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 changed his mind.

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

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

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates prosper in the nation.
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'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 cash is directed towards cricket.

With no legal avenue, put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything associated 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 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 restricting internet gambling, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting companies are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with overseas companies.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which control the market.
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Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established 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 wagering scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team officials were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.
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Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal instructions.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can bet openly," states our cricket bettor.

It would also open a big business opportunity for licensed bookmakers and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals included in sports betting more transparent.

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

But numerous also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering because (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.
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He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to place big bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to offer.

"Even however many individuals are associated with some sort of gambling - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their territory.

"The process is so long and difficult that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a debate has sparked around a subject - which till now was thought about a taboo.
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