Bookies on different track for Cricket World Cup & IPL

Today illegal cricket bookies operate out of communication centres and not from residential spaces, to ward off enforcement agencies, on the eve of the cricket World Cup matches followed by the Indian Premier League tournament in Indian cities. There are around lakhs of bookies, both big and small, who are in the business of cricket betting through illegal telephone exchanges to run their cricket betting rackets in UK, Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa and Dubai.

A crime branch official disclosed that there are intelligence inputs on bookies currently being in the thick of transactions worth crores, in this illegal betting market which totally runs on trust and reputation of the bookie and reference. In Mumbai they are currently operating out of areas like Opera House, Grant Road, Kalachowky, Bandra, Chembur, Khar, Santacruz, Malad and Borivali and Navi Mumbai.

The current trend is, betting is done far less on the outcome of the match and more on the runs scored by an individual player, catches taken on the field, number of boundaries scored, fall of wickets, a bowler's performance etc. " In the last few years with limited over matches like Indian Premier League and one- day matches, betting stakes are huge and majority of the stakes are placed on an individual player's performance rather than on the final outcome of the match.

Hence, not only betting syndicates have multiplied but even match- fixing has turned into a lucrative business," said a crime branch official. Cash transactions take place within 24 hours of the betting.

The money is delivered either at the bookie's office or at a safe location like restaurants or hotel suites specially booked during major international cricket tournaments where the Indian team is playing.