Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India
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 house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is seeing the video game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his smart phone glued to his best hand.
He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep modifying his bet.
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Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's changed his mind.
"I think India is winning, make the modification," he informs his bookie on the phone.
And a few minutes later his forecast comes to life, 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 3 decades he's been wagering on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is prohibited in India.
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Aside from horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, illegal sports betting syndicates prosper in the country.
'Black cash'
According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's unlawful sports betting market is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.
Without any legal opportunity, punters position bets using their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can wager on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.
Most of these deals involve so-called "black money", which is cash not declared to the taxman.
The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any type of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law forbiding web sports betting, there is nothing comparable here.
And offshore sports betting business are utilizing this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have registered accounts with overseas firms.
"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is unclear for online gambling," states Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.
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But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through call which dominate the marketplace.
Require legalisation
The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, it would assist secure down on corruption in the nation'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 Cricket in India (BCCI), after the 2013 Indian Premier League wagering scandal came to light.
Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were condemned of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.
The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax earnings for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.
Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the best direction.
"I don't mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble publicly," says our cricket gambler.
It would also open a huge organization opportunity for certified bookies and worldwide online sports betting business to establish operations in India.
And it would help restrict match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue lots of, by helping make deals included in gambling more transparent.
"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have a really reliable method of stamping out match fixing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.
But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookie will need to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.
However, there are limitations.
"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting because (some) people wouldn't want to leave an audit trail by entering the white market," states Mr Oborne.
He includes that people who utilize unaccounted cash to put big bets will never gamble legally.
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 lots of people are involved in some sort of sports betting - it's still a questionable problem for many," says our unnamed punter.
And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting in their territory.
"The process is so long and challenging 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 been endorsed by an official panel for the first time, a minimum of a dispute has ignited around a topic - which previously was considered a taboo.
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For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised
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