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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India

Published

5 February 2016
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By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business reporter

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

In his two-bedroom house situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is watching the video 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 contact the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep revising his bet.

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

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

And a couple of minutes later his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.
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"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 reveal his name as what he's doing is prohibited in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal wagering distributes flourish 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 cash is directed towards cricket.

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

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web gambling, there is nothing similar here.

And overseas sports betting companies are utilizing this loophole to draw Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with overseas companies.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is unclear for online gaming," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

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

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulatory body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal emerged.

Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some gamers and team authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the ideal direction.
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"I do not mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can bet publicly," states our cricket bettor.

It would also open a substantial company opportunity for licensed bookies and international online wagering business to set up operations in India.

And it would assist limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by helping make transactions included in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a really reliable approach of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But lots of likewise think, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will need to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit path by getting in the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who money to position huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval question

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

"Even though lots of people are associated with some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable concern for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

And considered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting 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 truth anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a debate has actually fired up around a topic - which up until now was considered a taboo.