Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting 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 requiring 17 runs to win versus Australia.

In his two-bedroom home situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is seeing the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his right-hand man.

He has made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep modifying his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookie on the phone.
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And a couple of minutes later on his prediction comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

For more than three years he's been sports betting on cricket matches. We can't expose his name as what he's doing is unlawful in India.

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

'Black cash'

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

Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest 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 gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting web gaming, there is nothing comparable here.

And offshore 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 offshore companies.

"Legally you can escape [with this], as the law is ambiguous for online gambling," states Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline sports betting", done through telephone call which dominate the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

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

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest modifications in the performance 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.

Two franchises have actually been banned for two years after some gamers and team authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the request of bookies.

The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax earnings for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.

Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting wagering is a move in the ideal instructions.

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

It would likewise open a big organization opportunity for licensed bookmakers and worldwide online sports betting business to establish 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.

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have an extremely efficient technique of marking out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But lots of also think, that the taxes levied on the bettor and the bookie will have to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.

However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be illegal wagering due to the fact that (some) individuals wouldn't wish to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who use unaccounted money to position big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a new law, and politically this will be a hard concept to offer.

"Even though many individuals are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," says our unnamed punter.

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

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

Yet with the concept having been backed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has fired up around a subject - which until now was considered a taboo.