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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 home located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.

He has made more than 10 contact the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, 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 modification," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later his forecast comes real, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

"I have actually made $200 today," he states 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 unlawful in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting syndicates thrive in the country.

'Black money'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest private run scorer.

Most of these deals include so-called "black cash", which is money not stated to the taxman.

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

And offshore wagering business are using this loophole to entice Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

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

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes in the performance of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League sports betting scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team authorities were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the best instructions.

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

It would likewise open a huge business opportunity for licensed bookies and international online wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals involved in gambling more transparent.

"If you work together with wagering business, you will have a really reliable technique of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

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

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) people would not wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted cash to place big bets will never ever bet legally.

Approval question

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

"Although numerous people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for many," states our .

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need 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 coming true anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of an argument has sparked around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.