1 For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised

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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 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom house located in main Mumbai, a middle-aged guy is enjoying the game, nervously. He's resting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his man.

He has made more than 10 employ the last 30 minutes - not to go over the match however to keep modifying his bet.

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

"I think India is winning, make the change," he informs his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later on his forecast comes true, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

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

For more than 3 years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.

Besides horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed in India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes grow 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 is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting money is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bet on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the greatest individual run scorer.

Most of these transactions include so-called "black cash", which is money 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 internet gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.

And overseas wagering business are using this loophole to lure Indians. Despite the fact that there are no online sports betting 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 ambiguous for online gaming," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.

But despite this, it is "offline gambling", done through telephone call which dominate the market.

Calls for legalisation
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The clamour to legalise wagering in cricket has actually grown after a panel designated by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would assist clamp down on corruption in the country's preferred sport.

The Justice RM Lodha Commission was set up to recommend changes 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 came to light.

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were found guilty of fixing parts of the match at the behest of bookmakers.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will bring in tax incomes for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.

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

"I do not mind paying some cash out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," states our cricket gambler.

It would likewise open a huge company chance for certified bookies and international 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 transactions involved in gambling more transparent.

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

But lots of likewise believe, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookie will have to be affordable to make it appealing enough for them to bet lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting since (some) people would not desire to leave an audit trail by getting in the white market," states Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted money to place big bets will never ever gamble lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be needed to develop a new law, and politically this will be a hard idea to offer.

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

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will need to likewise pass a different law to legalise sports betting gambling in their territory.
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"The procedure is so long and difficult 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 endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of a dispute has sparked around a subject - which previously was considered a taboo.