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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 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.

He has actually made more than 10 contact the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookie 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.

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

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

'Black money'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters put 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 highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these deals include so-called "black money", which is money not declared to the taxman.

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

And overseas wagering business are utilizing this loophole to entice Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which control the market.

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 country's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes in the functioning 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 been prohibited for two years after some players and team officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

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

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a relocation in the ideal instructions.

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

It would also open a substantial organization opportunity for certified bookies and international online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make deals associated with gambling more transparent.
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"If you work along with sports betting companies, you will have a really reliable method of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But many likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will have to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to .

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be prohibited wagering because (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who utilize unaccounted money to position huge bets will never gamble legally.

Approval question

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - 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 separate law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and tricky that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime quickly."

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