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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 reporter

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

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his best hand.

He has actually made more than 10 calls in the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match however to keep revising his bet.
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Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with 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 couple of minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childlike glee.
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For more than three years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates grow in the country.

'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 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.

The majority of these deals include so-called "black money", which is cash 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 prohibiting internet sports betting, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore wagering companies are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have actually registered accounts with overseas companies.

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gambling," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

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

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has actually grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would help clamp down on corruption in the country's favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest 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.

Two franchises have been banned for two years after some players and group officials were found guilty of repairing 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 amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my profits, as long as I can gamble publicly," says our cricket bettor.

It would also open a big company opportunity for licensed bookmakers and global online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work together with wagering companies, you will have a really efficient method of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But many likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be reasonable to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are restrictions.
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"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting since (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted money to position big bets will never gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

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

"Despite the fact that many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial concern for numerous," states 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 in their area.
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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 reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the idea having actually been backed by a main panel for the very first time, a minimum of a debate has actually sparked around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.
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