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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 reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India requiring 17 runs to win versus Australia.
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In his two-bedroom home situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his cellphone glued to his right hand.

He has made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman gets all set to face the last over he's altered his mind.

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

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

"I have made $200 today," he says with a childish glee.

For more than three decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.
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Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates grow in the nation.

'Black cash'
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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 gambling money is directed towards cricket.
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Without any legal opportunity, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest private run scorer.

Most of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is money not declared 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 forbiding web gambling, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to tempt Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with overseas firms.

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline gaming", done through call 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 assist secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.

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

Two franchises have actually been prohibited for two years after some gamers and team authorities were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the request of bookmakers.

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

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a relocation in the ideal direction.

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

It would likewise open a huge business chance for licensed bookmakers and wagering business to establish operations in India.

And it would assist restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make transactions included in gambling more transparent.

"If you work along with sports betting companies, you will have an extremely efficient approach of stamping out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

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

However, there are constraints.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting since (some) individuals would not wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

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

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to create a new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to offer.
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"Although lots of people are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a questionable problem for many," says our unnamed punter.

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

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

Yet with the concept having been backed by an official panel for the first time, at least a debate has ignited around a subject - which till now was considered a taboo.