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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering 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 requiring 17 go to win versus Australia.

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

He has made more than 10 employ the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.
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Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman gets all set 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 couple of minutes later his prediction comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have made $200 today," he says 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 illegal in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters place their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest specific 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 sort of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting internet gambling, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

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

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would help secure down on corruption in the country's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend 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.
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Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest 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 gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the ideal direction.

"I don't mind paying some money out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a big organization opportunity for certified bookmakers and global online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have a really efficient method of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But many likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the gambler 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 prohibited sports betting due to the fact that (some) individuals would not want to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to put big bets will never 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 concept to offer.

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

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

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