1 For Sports Gambling to Be Legalised

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Howzat? The clamour to legalise sports betting in India

Published

5 February 2016

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By Sameer Hashmi
bet9ja.com
Mumbai Business press reporter

It is the last over of the cricket match, with India needing 17 runs to win versus 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 couch with his cellphone glued to his right hand.

He has made more than 10 contact the last thirty minutes - not to discuss the match however to keep modifying his bet.

Five minutes previously his money was on Australia, and now as the Indian batsman gets ready to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.

"I believe India is winning, make the change," he tells his bookie on the phone.

And a few minutes later his forecast comes real, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.

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

For more than three years he's been banking on cricket matches. We can't reveal his name as what he's doing is illegal in India.
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Aside from horse racing, sports betting wagering of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, prohibited sports betting distributes flourish in the country.
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'Black money'

According to the Doha-based International Centre for sports betting Security, India's unlawful sports betting wagering market is worth some $150bn a year. And much of that gambling money is directed towards cricket.

Without any legal avenue, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookmakers. Gamblers can bank on anything associated to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest specific run scorer.

The majority of these transactions involve so-called "black money", which is cash not declared to the taxman.

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

And offshore wagering business are using this loophole to entice Indians. Although 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 unclear for online gaming," states Mumbai- based attorney HP Ranina.
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But in spite of this, it is "offline sports betting", done through phone calls which control the marketplace.

Calls for legalisation

The clamour to legalise sports betting in cricket has grown after a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court proposed the concept, stating it would help secure down on corruption in the nation's preferred sport.
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The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established to suggest 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 sports betting scandal came to light.

Two franchises have been prohibited for 2 years after some players and group officials were discovered guilty of repairing parts of the match at the wish of bookies.

The panel also argues that legalised wagering will generate tax earnings for the exchequer that might amount to $2bn a year.

Even gamblers feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the best instructions.

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

It would likewise open a big organization opportunity for licensed bookies and worldwide online sports betting companies to establish operations in India.

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

"If you work alongside wagering business, you will have an extremely efficient approach of marking out match repairing," states George Oborne, who runs a mock wagering site, India Bet.

But numerous likewise think, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookie will have to be sensible to make it appealing enough for them to gamble lawfully.

However, there are limitations.

"Definitely there will be prohibited sports betting due to the fact that (some) people would not desire to leave an audit path by going into the white market," says Mr Oborne.

He adds that individuals who utilize unaccounted cash to put big bets will never ever bet lawfully.

Approval question

For sports betting gambling to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to develop a brand-new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to offer.

"Even however lots of people are involved in some sort of gambling - it's still a controversial problem for lots of," says our unnamed punter.

And offered that India has a federal structural - each state will have to likewise pass a separate law to legalise sports betting gambling in their area.

"The procedure is so long and challenging that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this ending up being a reality anytime quickly."

Yet with the concept having actually been endorsed by a main panel for the first time, a minimum of an argument has sparked around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.