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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India

Published

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 requiring 17 runs to win versus Australia.

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

He has made more than 10 contact the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match but to keep revising his bet.
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Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, but now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he tells his bookie on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later on his forecast comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have actually made $200 today," he states with a childlike glee.

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

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering 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 prohibited sports betting market deserves some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting money is directed towards cricket.
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With no legal avenue, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law forbiding internet gaming, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore sports betting companies are using this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have actually signed up accounts with offshore companies.

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through telephone call which dominate the marketplace.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications in the performance of India's cricket regulative 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 prohibited for two years after some gamers and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the best direction.

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

It would also open a big company chance for licensed bookies and worldwide online wagering business to set up operations in India.

And it would assist limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have an extremely effective approach of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But numerous also believe, that the on the bettor and the bookie 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 since (some) individuals wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to put big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

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

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

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

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

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a debate has actually sparked around a subject - which up until now was thought about a taboo.