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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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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 needing 17 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is watching the video game, nervously. He’s sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right hand.

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

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman prepares to face the last over he’s altered his mind.

“I believe India is winning, make the change,” he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

And a couple of minutes later his prediction becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

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

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, unlawful wagering distributes flourish 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 gambling money is directed towards cricket.

With no legal opportunity, punters put bets using 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.

Most of these transactions involve so-called “black cash”, which is cash not declared to the taxman.

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

And overseas sports betting business 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 overseas companies.

“Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is unclear for online sports betting,” says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But in spite of this, it is “offline gambling”, done through phone calls which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India’s Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would help secure down on corruption in the nation’s favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend modifications in the performance of India’s cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for 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 gamers and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.

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

“I do not mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can bet publicly,” says our cricket gambler.

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

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make transactions included in gambling more transparent.

“If you work together with wagering companies, you will have a very effective approach of marking out match repairing,” states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.

But many also think, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are limitations.

“Definitely there will be unlawful wagering because (some) people wouldn’t wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market,” states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval concern

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

“Despite the fact that lots of people are involved in some sort of gambling - it’s still a controversial problem for lots of,” says 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 in their territory.

“The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years,” says Mr Ranina.“That’s why, we are cynical about this coming true anytime soon.”

Yet with the concept having been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of a debate has actually ignited around a topic - which up until now was considered a taboo.
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