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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 press reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his ideal hand.

He has actually made more than 10 hire the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman prepares to face 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 few minutes later his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

"I have made $200 today," he says with a childish glee.
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For more than 3 decades he's been banking 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 India. Despite that, prohibited wagering distributes prosper in the nation.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.
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The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of sports betting in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet sports betting, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

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

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is uncertain for online sports betting," states Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.
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But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which control the marketplace.

Require legalisation
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The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying 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 performance 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 banned for 2 years after some players and team officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the right direction.

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

It would likewise open a huge organization chance for certified bookmakers and worldwide online wagering companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make transactions associated with gambling more transparent.

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

But numerous likewise think, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting due to the fact that (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use to put big bets will never bet legally.

Approval concern

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

"Even however many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial problem for many," says our unnamed punter.

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

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

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