PANAJI: Goa BJP legislator Vishnu Wagh on Tuesday demanded legalization of matka, an illegal but extremely popular form of gambling prevalent in the state and parts of western India.
While arguing that big-moneyed gambling in casinos was legal but matka was not, Wagh said gambling should not be viewed with a class bias.
"There should not be a class element when we look at gambling. We have to see if we can legalize matka," Wagh said.
Matka is an illegal form of gambling which gained immense popularity in Mumbai in the 1970s. It functions six days a week, virtually like a lottery, where lucky numbers are generated twice every day.
Matka's popularity stems from the fact that one can wager a bet of even Re.1.
The matka industry in Goa is pegged as a multi-crore industry. Goa also has four operational offshore casinos and nine onshore casinos.