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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India

Published

5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi
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Mumbai Business press reporter

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

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.

He has made more than 10 employ the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later on his prediction 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 three decades he's been sports betting on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.
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Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, prohibited wagering distributes grow in the country.

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

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

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

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

And overseas sports betting companies are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Although there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have signed up accounts with offshore firms.

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

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which control the marketplace.
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Calls for legalisation

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 help clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes 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 actually been banned for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.
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Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the best direction.

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

It would likewise open a big company chance for licensed bookies and international online sports betting 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 associated with gambling more transparent.

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

But many also think, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting since (some) people would not wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to position huge bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval question

For to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a new law, and politically this will be a difficult concept to sell.

"Despite the fact that many individuals are involved in some sort of sports betting - 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 gambling in their territory.

"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 reality anytime soon."

Yet with the idea having been endorsed by a main panel for the very first time, at least a debate has sparked around a subject - which previously was considered a taboo.
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