If you thought that only the poor gambled on the illegal betting circuit (satta-betting), you could not be more wrong. A city-based bookie told DNA that members of the city’s elite are no less enthusiastic in gambling on the illegal satta-betting, particularly over cricket matches. These members of the elite have placed huge bets on the IPL cricket matches that begin in South Africa from Saturday, the bookie said.
He further said that as the share market was not very profitable anymore because of the recession, the elite are investing heavily in the betting on the IPL matches. “Going by past experience, most of them will make a lot of money,” he said. The bookie disclosed to DNA that many doctors, lawyers, engineers and influential businessmen of Ahmedabad, particularly those living in the western part of the city, regularly gamble huge amounts on satta-betting.
As much as 25% of the total money wagered in satta-bets comes from this elite section of society, he said. “They place their bets over phone,” he said, “which is why they do not come directly into the picture. The entire operation is carried out by their agents.” The bookie said that these gamblers want to remain anonymous.
“They depend on agents to keep their identity hidden,” he said. “Large amounts of money change hands entirely on trust. There is no written record of any kind. In many cases, even the bookie involved does not have any idea who exactly is placing the bets; he just knows the agent.”
Big gamblers are known on the betting-circuit only by their initials. “Someone called Jitendra Prasad would be known among bookies only as JP,” the bookie said.
