BHUBANESWAR: As the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets into its business end, stakes are high in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
Recently, police in Berhampur and Sambalpur busted betting rackets but they continue unchecked in the Twin City without much trouble. Customers are placing bets either through bookies and agents in the two cities or through punters in other places like Hyderabad, Chandigarh and even outside the country.
Berhampur police, on October 30, busted an IPL betting racket having links with Dubai as well as major cities in the country and arrested two persons. They seized a whopping Rs 33.61 lakh cash from the accused.
According to DIG Southern Range Satyabrata Bhoi, last week Aska police arrested three agents involved in placing bets during the IPL matches in UAE. During interrogation, police learnt that a racket was active throughout the State including Berhampur and Bhubaneswar.
One youth was exhilarated when he placed a bet of Rs 5,000 and won Rs 28,000 in one of the ongoing IPL matches. Another man said he along with at least four others had placed bets on Sunday through an agent in Bhubaneswar on a match between KXIP and CSK and lost in the range of Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000.
Sources said bookies in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are either operating from their homes, hotels or rented accommodations. A person can place a bet for a minimum of Rs 1,000, and up to Rs 1 lakh and even more.
The bets are placed either directly through bookies or through various agents. Some place the bets on every ball, some for an over and many even gamble for an entire match.
A person placing bets on a team having a good chance of winning earns less margin than the one who puts the money on an underdog team. “A new person placing bets between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh or even more has to make a deposit before a bookie. However, the bookies are not asking for deposits from the regulars,” said sources familiar with betting.
Many mobile apps, which reportedly show scorecard a few seconds ahead of the live telecast, are used by both the bookies and the customers. Besides, there are some websites to place bets and persons placing bets in the Twin City are using them to make easy money.
“I quit betting about two years back. There were about 20 to 30 bookies back then,” said a source. Persons placing bets through local bookies and agents mostly switch to punters of other cities when they are unable to pay the money which they lose in a bet, said sources.
Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash and Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh said a close watch on the illegal activities is being kept by police and raids will be conducted whenever they will receive credible information.
Modus operandi
Bookies are either operating from their homes, hotels or rented accommodations
A person can place a bet for a minimum of Rs 1,000, and up to Rs 1 lakh and even more
Bets are placed either directly through bookies or through various agents
Many mobile apps, which reportedly show scorecard a few seconds ahead of the live telecast, are used by both the bookies and the customers