Cops on toes, punters bet big on frenzy over India-Pak tie
There’s no smoke without fire, similarly there’s no India-Pakistan cricket clash without illegal betting. Not only the cricket buffs, but punters are also eagerly waiting for the face-off between the two well-known rivals. With the two teams set to clash on Sunday in Dubai, punters are placing their bets on India as “hot favourites” against Pakistan. However, Pakistan too can’t be overlooked — given the Champions Trophy history between the two teams.
Anthem gaffe at OZ-England tie
Lahore: In a major blunder ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy match between Australia and England at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday, the Indian national anthem was played for a few seconds instead of Australia’s national anthem.
Considering the high-voltage clash, the police have also increased its vigil to stop illegal betting in the region.
Sources claimed crores of rupees would be at stake with punters operating in Chandigarh, NCR and various districts of Punjab. Not only is the old system of betting, which mostly deals in cash, active across states, online portals are also openly accepting bets from the interested people.
“The dabba (rate for betting) will be known just before the game. However, as per online betting figures, the margin is not much considering the past profits.
A bet of Rs 100 on India will offer a return of Rs 140 as per some online betting applications,” said a Chandigarh-based punter, who claimed India was the clear favourite in the match.
Another bookmaker from Punjab said, “Pakistan is also getting good response. I don’t know the logic behind it, but if an underdog beats a superior team, it surely turns out to be good business for punters. The final rates will be known tomorrow. However, the betting operators are supporting both the teams. I believe the Pakistan team may pull off a surprise tomorrow. If it happens, bettors will surely
benefit from it.”
The sources said there were several ways to place bets such as on the match result, “over by over, ball by ball” or on innings.
“The rates vary from state to state. You won’t get the same rate in Chandigarh as compared to Gurugram. Different groups function in different ways, but this is the only match which will see a huge transaction of money,” said another punter.
Meanwhile, the police are taking steps to crack down on illegal betting tomorrow. “We come across many cases of betting across the region every month. We are determined to stop this illegal business during the India-Pakistan match and have also zeroed in on some individuals and places,” said a senior police official.
