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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 needing 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his best hand.

He has actually made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, and 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 tells his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his forecast comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

For more than three decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

Other than horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes prosper in the country.

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

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

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of sports betting in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gambling, there is nothing similar here.

And overseas sports betting business are using this loophole to tempt Indians. Even though there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have actually registered accounts with overseas companies.

"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is unclear for online sports betting," says Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.

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

Calls for legalisation

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

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

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the right direction.

"I do not mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a substantial business opportunity for licensed bookmakers and global online sports betting companies to set up operations in India.

And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by assisting make deals included in sports betting more transparent.

"If you work alongside wagering companies, you will have a really efficient method of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting due to the fact that (some) people would not desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that people who use unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never bet legally.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to produce a new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to offer.

"Despite the fact that lots of people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for lots of," states our unnamed punter.

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

"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," says Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this coming true anytime soon."

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