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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 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is watching the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his best hand.

He has made more than 10 calls in the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman gets prepared to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have actually made $200 today," he states with a childlike 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 of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black money'

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

With no legal opportunity, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet 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 cash", which is money not stated to the taxman.

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

And offshore wagering companies are using this loophole to draw Indians. Although there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

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

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has actually grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would help clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.
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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 wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been for 2 years after some gamers and team authorities were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

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

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

It would likewise open a substantial business chance for licensed bookies and worldwide online sports betting business to set up operations in India.

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

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have a really efficient method of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But many likewise believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

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

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a new law, and politically this will be a tough idea to offer.

"Even however many individuals are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable issue for many," says 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 area.
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"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been backed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has ignited around a topic - which till now was considered a taboo.