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 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 sitting on the edge of his grey colour couch with his mobile phone glued to his right hand.

He has made more than 10 employ the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match however to keep revising his bet.

Five minutes previously his cash was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he’s changed his mind.

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

“I have actually made $200 today,” he says with a childlike glee.

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

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

‘Black cash’

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India’s illegal sports betting market deserves some $150bn a year. And much of that gambling cash is directed towards cricket.
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Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these deals involve so-called “black cash”, which is money not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gaming in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gambling, there is nothing comparable here.

And offshore sports betting companies are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Although there are no online wagering 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 lawyer HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is “offline gambling”, done through call which control the market.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel designated by India’s Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would help clamp down on corruption in the nation’s favourite sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend 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 sports betting scandal emerged.

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and team authorities were found guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of .
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The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax profits for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

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

“I don’t mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can gamble openly,” says our cricket gambler.

It would also open a huge business chance for licensed bookies and international online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

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

“If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have an extremely effective method of marking out match repairing,” states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But numerous likewise think, that the taxes imposed on the gambler and the bookie will have to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.

However, there are constraints.

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

He adds that people who utilize unaccounted money to put big bets will never ever gamble legally.

Approval concern

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

“Although numerous people are included in some sort of gaming - it’s still a questionable problem for numerous,” states 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 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 been backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a debate has actually sparked around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.