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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 press reporter
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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 main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is viewing the video game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his glued to his ideal hand.

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

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

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

And a couple of minutes later his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"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 unlawful in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates flourish in the nation.

'Black cash'

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

Without any 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 greatest individual run scorer.

Most of these transactions include so-called "black money", which is money not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of sports betting in India, but unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting internet gaming, there is nothing similar here.

And offshore wagering business are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Even though there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot individuals have signed up accounts with overseas firms.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online sports betting," says Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.

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

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, saying it would help clamp down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend modifications in the functioning of India's cricket regulative body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League sports betting scandal came to light.
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Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some gamers and group authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax incomes for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the best instructions.

"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," says our cricket bettor.

It would likewise open a big service opportunity for licensed bookies and worldwide online wagering companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work together with sports betting business, you will have a really reliable technique of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.

But lots of also think, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering due to the fact that (some) people would not want to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who utilize unaccounted money to place big bets will never bet legally.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a new law, and politically this will be a tough idea to sell.

"Although lots of people are associated with some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial issue for many," states our unnamed punter.

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their area.
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"The procedure 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 quickly."

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