Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting wagering 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 needing 17 go to win against Australia.

In his two-bedroom home located in central Mumbai, a middle-aged man is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his cellphone glued to his right-hand man.
He has made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match but to keep revising his bet.
Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, however 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 bookmaker on the phone.
And a few minutes later on his prediction comes to life, as India wins the match in a nail-biting surface.

"I have made $200 today," he states with a childish 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 unlawful in India.
Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not permitted in India. Despite that, illegal wagering syndicates flourish in the nation.
'Black money'
According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's prohibited sports betting market deserves some $150bn a year. And much of that sports betting cash is directed towards cricket.
With no legal opportunity, punters put bets using their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private run scorer.
Most of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is cash not stated to the taxman.
The 1867 Public Gambling Act bars any kind of gambling in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting internet gaming, there is nothing comparable here.
And overseas wagering business are utilizing this loophole to draw Indians. Even though 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 sports betting," says Mumbai- based legal representative HP Ranina.
But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through call which dominate the marketplace.
Calls for legalisation
The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel selected by India's Supreme Court proposed the idea, saying it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's favourite sport.
The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to recommend changes 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 players and team authorities were condemned of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.
The panel likewise argues that legalised wagering will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that could amount to $2bn a year.
Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal direction.
"I do not mind paying some money out my earnings, as long as I can gamble openly," says our cricket gambler.
It would also open a huge company chance for licensed bookmakers and international online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.
And it would help limit match repairing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by helping make deals included in sports betting more transparent.
"If you work alongside sports betting business, you will have a really effective approach of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting site, India Bet.
But numerous also believe, that the taxes imposed on the bettor and the bookie will have to be sensible to make it attractive enough for them to gamble legally.
However, there are constraints.
"Definitely there will be illegal sports betting because (some) people wouldn't wish to leave an audit path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.
He includes that people who utilize unaccounted money to place huge bets will never gamble lawfully.
Approval concern

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to create a brand-new law, and politically this will be a tough idea to offer.
"Although lots of people are included in some sort of gambling - it's still a questionable issue for numerous," says our unnamed punter.
And provided that India has a federal structural - each state will need to also pass a different 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 cynical 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 an argument has actually ignited around a subject - which up until now was considered a taboo.