1 For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised
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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering in India
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Published

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 go to win versus Australia.

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

He has actually made more than 10 employ the last thirty minutes - not to talk about the match but to keep modifying his bet.
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Five minutes earlier his money was on Australia, now as the Indian batsman prepares to deal with 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 on his forecast comes real, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"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 reveal 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, unlawful sports betting distributes flourish in the country.

'Black money'

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 cash is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters place 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 highest specific run scorer.

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

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

And overseas sports betting companies are using 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 ambiguous for online gambling," states Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.

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

Require legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would assist clamp down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.
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The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up 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 wagering scandal emerged.

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

The panel likewise argues that legalised sports betting will bring in tax profits for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I don't mind paying some money out my profits, as long as I can bet openly," says our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a big service chance for certified bookies and global online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue many, by assisting make deals associated with gambling more transparent.

"If you work alongside sports betting companies, you will have an extremely reliable approach of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering website, India Bet.

But many likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet legally.
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However, there are restrictions.

"Definitely there will be unlawful wagering since (some) individuals would not desire to leave an audit trail by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He includes that individuals who use unaccounted money to put huge bets will never ever gamble lawfully.
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Approval concern

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

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

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

"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 backed by an official panel for the very first time, at least a dispute has ignited around a topic - which up until now was considered a taboo.