Bookies seem to be unfazed by the recent crackdown on betting and are hoping to make brisk business this IPL season. Sources said that the total investment and final turnover is said to be to the tune of `5,000 crores. The Delhi police special cell, in a raid at Mumbai, arrested three players of the Rajasthan Royals team and seven other bookies on Thursday.
Immediately after the raids, bookies switched to communicating through draft emails using common email IDs to avoid being tracked.
“We earlier communicated mostly through applications like Blackberry and WhatsApp, which are difficult to trace. Now, a common email ID is created whose password and username is shared with everyone. The draft folder is opened and everyone places their bets there. Under no circumstances should an email end up in the inbox or the sent items list. Phones are out of the question as they are being tapped,” a bookies told this newspaper.
“We are expecting to make a business of `5,000 crores this IPL season. Bets are being placed on teams for the final IPL match,” the bookie added.
The two-time IPL champion Chennai Super Kings is clear favourite among the bookies this year too with a rate of 1.80. This means that every `1 would fetch `1.80. The rate is inversely proportional to the popularity of the team.
The second on the list are the star studded Mumbai Indians at a rate of `2.80.
When asked about the busted players and bookies, the bookie said that though the crackdown was a setback for the business, people wanting to bet has not been affected. Hence, they have no option but to continue.