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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 press reporter

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

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

He has actually made more than 10 hire the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, but now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

And a few 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 childish glee.
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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 prohibited in India.

Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful sports betting syndicates thrive in the nation.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal avenue, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

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

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

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

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

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

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, stating it would assist clamp down on corruption in the nation's favourite 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 wagering scandal emerged.

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.
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The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some cash out my profits, as long as I can gamble openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a big organization opportunity for licensed bookies and worldwide online wagering business to set up operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make deals associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable approach of stamping out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookie will have to be affordable to make it attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to position 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 offer.

"Although many individuals are involved in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial problem for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
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"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," states 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 very first time, a minimum of a debate has sparked around a subject - which till now was thought about a taboo.