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


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 situated in central Mumbai, a middle-aged male is enjoying the game, nervously. He's sitting on the edge of his grey colour sofa with his mobile phone glued to his right hand.


He has made more than 10 calls in the last thirty minutes - not to go over the match however to keep revising his bet.


Five minutes earlier his cash was on Australia, today as the Indian batsman prepares yourself to deal with the last over he's altered his mind.


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


And a couple of minutes later his forecast becomes a reality, as India wins the match in a nail-biting finish.


"I have made $200 today," he states 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.


Other than horse racing, sports betting of any kind is not allowed India. Despite that, unlawful sports betting syndicates flourish in the country.


'Black money'


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 avenue, punters position bets utilizing their phones by making calls to bookies. Gamblers can bet on anything related to the cricket match, from who is winning to the highest private 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 gaming in India, however unlike in the US which has a law restricting web gaming, there is absolutely nothing comparable here.


And overseas sports betting companies are using this to tempt Indians. Although there are no online wagering operators based out of India, a lot individuals have registered accounts with offshore companies.


"Legally you can get away [with this], as the law is unclear for online sports betting," states Mumbai- based lawyer HP Ranina.


But in spite of this, it is "offline gaming", done through phone calls which control the marketplace.


Require legalisation


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


The Justice RM Lodha Commission was established 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 emerged.
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Two franchises have actually been prohibited for 2 years after some gamers and team officials were discovered guilty of fixing parts of the match at the wish of bookmakers.


The panel also argues that legalised sports betting will generate tax revenues for the exchequer that might total up to $2bn a year.


Even bettors feel that legalising sports betting is a move in the ideal direction.


"I do not mind paying some cash out my revenues, as long as I can gamble openly," says our cricket bettor.


It would also open a substantial service chance for certified bookmakers and international online sports betting business to set up operations in India.


And it would help restrict match fixing in cricket and other sports betting, argue numerous, by assisting make transactions associated with sports betting more transparent.
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"If you work together with sports betting business, you will have a very efficient technique of stamping out match repairing," says George Oborne, who runs a mock sports betting website, India Bet.


But lots of also think, that the taxes levied on the gambler and the bookmaker will need to be reasonable to make it appealing enough for them to gamble legally.


However, there are restrictions.


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


He adds that individuals who use unaccounted cash to place huge bets will never ever bet legally.
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Approval concern
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For sports betting to be legalised, parliamentary approval will be required to produce a new law, and politically this will be a tough concept to offer.
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"Despite the fact that numerous people are associated with some sort of sports betting - it's still a controversial concern for many," says our unnamed punter.


And given that India has a federal structural - each state will have to also pass a separate law to legalise sports betting in their territory.


"The procedure is so long and difficult that it will take years," states Mr Ranina."That's why, we are negative about this becoming a truth anytime quickly."


Yet with the idea having actually been endorsed by an official panel for the very first time, a minimum of an argument has fired up around a topic - which previously was thought about a taboo.