Bookies unfazed, IPL betting bazaar stays hot

Bookies unfazed, IPL betting bazaar stays hot

FPJ BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 06:32 AM IST
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Mumbai: Even though the Indian Premier League (IPL) and some key people associated with it are embroiled in an unsavoury controversy, the disclosure of some parts of the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee report is unlikely to diminish the fervor for betting in this T20 tournament.

Bookies said that the next season would again witness heavy betting, which has been the norm since the tournament started.

There are megabuck stakes in an IPL season with the betting turnover touching close to Rs 50,000 crores mark. In fact, each match in the initial stages witnesses betting of Rs 700 crores to Rs 800 crores. Besides each qualifier and eliminator match rakes in bets worth Rs 1,000 crore, and the final Rs 1,500 crores.

“All such developments don’t impact business. Only the bookies are more careful and function from hideouts so that they are not on the police radar,” a Mumbai bookie explained.

Sources in the circle said that bookies have a betting buffet from which you can pick and choose for quick results and it is not just limited to the outcome of the match.

“There is spot betting which is called “session,” where bets are placed on per ball basis and limited number of overs,” the bookie said.

Elaborating, he said that for the team batting first, “session” involves betting on runs scored on a ball, in 6 overs, 12 overs and “lambi pari” (full first inning). “For the team batting second, it is done on a ball and 6 overs,” he said.

To organize “session” in a systematic way, the bookies pay Rs 400 per match for a “line” that will be connected to associates of big bookies, who are present in the stadium during matches and give live results for spot betting.

This is like a conference facility and bookies would get the result of a ball 3 seconds to 6 seconds (depending on non-HD and HD) before it is relayed on TV.

Bookies have also not ruled out the possibility of fixing despite the controversy. “This is because it is controlled by the underworld, and it involves a huge profit once a match is fixed,” the bookie said.

Sources said that only a few top-notch bookies are involved in fixing and are in direct touch with the underworld. They added that the D-gang has formed a syndicate called “Indiana Cartel” that decides and works out details of match fixing. This cartel is controlled by Dawood’s brother Anees.

The cartel has five bookies-cum-fixers who make detailed plans to fix matches. These bookies are from Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur and Kolkata. These five further have some key bookies and punters as part of their syndicate who are used to pump money in the fixed matches, the results of which will be unexpected, thereby providing a windfall.

Even the Mudgal committee report had highlighted the need to probe the Dawood link in betting.

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