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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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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 house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.
He has made more than 10 calls in the last 30 minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep modifying his bet.
Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, however now as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.
"I believe India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.
And a couple of minutes later on his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.
"I have made $200 today," he states with a childish glee.
For more than three decades he's been sports betting 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, unlawful sports betting syndicates flourish in the nation.
'Black cash'
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 gambling money is directed towards cricket.
Without any legal avenue, punters place bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.
Most of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is cash not declared to the taxman.
The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gaming in India, but unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gambling, there is nothing similar here.
And offshore wagering companies are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot people have signed up accounts with offshore firms.
"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is uncertain for online gaming," states Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.
But in spite of this, it is "offline gambling", done through phone calls which dominate the market.
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 help secure down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.
The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to suggest 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 wagering scandal emerged.
Two franchises have actually been banned for 2 years after some players and group authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the request of .
The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that could total up to $2bn a year.
Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the best instructions.
"I do not mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble publicly," says our cricket bettor.
It would likewise open a substantial organization chance for certified bookies and global online wagering companies to establish operations in India.
And it would help restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.
"If you work together with wagering companies, you will have a very reliable approach of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.
But many also believe, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.
However, there are restrictions.
"Definitely there will be unlawful sports betting because (some) individuals wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.
He adds that people who utilize unaccounted money to position huge bets will never gamble lawfully.
Approval question
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.
"Despite the fact that numerous people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial issue for many," 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.
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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 coming true anytime quickly."
Yet with the concept having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has actually fired up around a topic - which until now was thought about a taboo.
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For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised
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