Jamshedpur, May 20 : On the playground the Indian Premiere League ( IPL) may have given chances to select players to churn easy money but off the field the league has given rise to one of the biggest betting rackets in the city too luring the youths to mint easy.
The betting trade for this year�s season of IPL is soaring high in the city with students of several English medium schools are also falling prey to the racket. Even college students have started betting.
According to the people involved in the racket, they are making quick money in spot betting during the match. In IPL, bets are placed on wins, losses, runs per ball, final scores of teams or batsmen, how a batsman will get out, number of overs that each team will bowl, man of the match, third umpire decisions.
�Yes apart from betting on a win, hundreds are likely to place their money on who wins the toss, fall of wickets, number of boundaries, runs of individual player�s performance too. There are already a few enquiries about betting on player�s score and who will bowl the first over. That apart, with players in a good form, we are also taking bets on whether he will hit a four on the first ball of the innings,” a bookie said.
Several betting rackets are engaged in making brisk business on IPL .Recently alone the district police arrested accused involved in the betting racket. The police also seized Rs26 lakhs.
�Acting on a tip-off we carried the raid and arrested suspects involved in betting IPL matches. We have suspect they have licks with other cities too. We have also decided to increase vigil in areas known for running betting rackets,� said AnupBirtharay, SSP, EastSInghbhum. Sources also informed that areas like Kadma, Dhatkidih, Bisutpur and Dhatkidih are house to several such rackets.
“It’s easy money that attracts these college and school kids. They place bets for as low as Rs 250. Apparently most of the bigger bookies have bases outside the city. Some of them operate from as far as New Delhi. It’s risky to operate within city limits. Yet, many operate below the legal radar to avoid paying taxes,� noted one of the bookie involved in the racket at Jugsalai
Sources reveal that though bookies have been arrested on numerous occasions, there have been no convictions so far. Bookies also record phone conversations of punters (people who bet money) to make sure they don’t retract their orders. In spite of this, it’s difficult to nail them because most change their mobile numbers every few days, make it difficult to track their operations.
Meanwhile an official said that the administration is keeping an eye on the betting in the city and strict action will be taken against those involved.