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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 runs to win versus Australia.

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

He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to face the last over he's altered his mind.
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"I believe India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookmaker on the phone.

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

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childlike glee.

For more than three years he's been banking 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 in India. Despite that, illegal wagering syndicates thrive in the nation.

'Black money'

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

With no legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

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

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

And overseas sports betting business 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 offshore companies.

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

But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through call which control the marketplace.

Require legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest 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 came to light.

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for two years after some gamers and group officials were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax profits for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a substantial company chance for licensed bookmakers and international online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help limit match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.

"If you work along with sports betting companies, you will have a really efficient technique of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering because (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who utilize unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to sell.

"Although numerous individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable problem for numerous," 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 territory.
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"The process is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a truth anytime soon."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the first time, a minimum of an argument has ignited around a subject - which up until now was thought about a taboo.
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