1 For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised

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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India

5 February 2016

By Sameer Hashmi

Mumbai Business press reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India requiring 17 runs to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house situated in main Mumbai, a middle-aged male is viewing the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right-hand man.

He has actually made more than 10 calls in the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match but to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's his mind.

"I think India is winning, make the modification," he tells his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later his forecast comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.
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"I have made $200 today," he states 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 prohibited in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful wagering syndicates prosper in the country.

'Black money'
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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.
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With no legal opportunity, punters place bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

Most of these transactions involve so-called "black cash", which is money not stated to the taxman.

The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any sort of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law prohibiting web gambling, there is nothing comparable here.

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

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

But regardless of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which dominate the marketplace.

Require legalisation

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

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

Two franchises have been banned for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

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

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can gamble publicly," states 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 assist restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals involved in gambling more transparent.

"If you work together with sports betting companies, you will have a very efficient approach of marking out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But lots of also think, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are constraints.
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"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting due to the fact that (some) people wouldn't desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted cash to position huge bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a difficult idea to sell.

"Despite the fact that many individuals are included in some sort of gaming - it's still a controversial problem for numerous," states our unnamed punter.

And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their area.

"The process 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 concept having actually been backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has sparked around a subject - which previously was thought about a taboo.