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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 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 situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his man.

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

Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

And a few minutes later his forecast 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 3 decades he's been banking 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 sports betting distributes thrive in the nation.

'Black cash'

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.

With no legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest individual run scorer.

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

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

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

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation
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The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel appointed 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 functioning 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 actually been banned for 2 years after some players and team officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues 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 direction.

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

It would likewise open a huge business opportunity for licensed bookmakers and worldwide online wagering business to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make transactions involved in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have an extremely reliable technique of stamping out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.
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But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) individuals wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who use unaccounted cash to position huge bets will never gamble legally.

Approval concern

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

"Although many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable issue for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The process is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this ending up being a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by an official panel for the first time, at least a dispute has fired up around a topic - which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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