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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 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his best 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 earlier his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman gets ready to face the last over he's altered his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookmaker on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his prediction comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.
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"I have actually made $200 today," he says with a childlike glee.

For more than 3 decades he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.
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Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not enabled in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes thrive 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.
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Without any legal avenue, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.

The majority of these deals involve so-called "black money", which is money not declared to the taxman.
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The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of gambling in India, but unlike in the US which has a law forbiding internet gambling, there is nothing comparable here.

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

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

But despite this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

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

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

Two franchises have been prohibited for two years after some players and team officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax revenues for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the best instructions.

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

It would also open a big business chance for licensed bookies and global online sports betting companies to set up 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 gambling more transparent.
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"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have a really efficient technique of marking out match fixing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But many also believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting because (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit path by entering the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who utilize unaccounted money to place huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval question

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

"Although many individuals are included in some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And given that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their area.

"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are cynical about this ending up being a reality anytime soon."

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