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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 guy is watching the video 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 hire the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, but now as the Indian batsman prepares 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 couple of minutes later his prediction comes real, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have made $200 today," he says with a childish glee.

For more than 3 years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering distributes flourish in the nation.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

Most of these deals include so-called "black money", which is cash not stated 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 gambling, there is nothing similar here.

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

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gambling," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

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

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's preferred 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 sports betting scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some players and group officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the right instructions.

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

It would likewise open a big company chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting business to set up operations in India.

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

"If you work along with wagering business, you will have a very efficient approach of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) people would not desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to position big bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to sell.

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

And given that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.
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"The procedure is so long and tricky 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 backed by an official panel for the first time, a minimum of an argument has actually ignited around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.