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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 reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is watching the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his ideal hand.
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He has actually made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.

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

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childlike glee.
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For more than three years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is prohibited in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates thrive in the .

'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 gambling money is directed towards cricket.

With no legal opportunity, punters put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest specific run scorer.

Most of these deals include so-called "black cash", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting web gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulative 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 players and group authorities were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax revenues for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

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

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

It would likewise open a big company opportunity for licensed bookmakers and worldwide online wagering business to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work alongside wagering companies, you will have a very effective method of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

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

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

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

"Although many people are included in some sort of gambling - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a truth anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the first time, a minimum of a dispute has actually sparked around a subject - which till now was considered a taboo.
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