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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering 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 needing 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is viewing the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.

He has made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep his bet.

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

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

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

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

For more than three decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

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

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

With no legal avenue, 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 private run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gaming, there is nothing similar here.

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

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

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

Calls for legalisation

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 secure down on corruption in the nation'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 wagering scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been prohibited for two years after some players and group authorities were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax profits for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the right instructions.

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

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

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals included in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable technique of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But lots of also believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will have to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) individuals wouldn't wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted money to place big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that lots of individuals are included in some sort of gambling - it's still a questionable problem for many," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.

"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this becoming a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually fired up around a topic - which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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