Ranchi: On the lines of Matka, betting worth crores of rupees is now taking place every day on IPL matches in Jharkhand. Like drug addiction, the addiction of betting among the youth is also increasing rapidly. Bets are being placed on the victory of the teams, total runs scored by the teams, runs by different players, runs scored on each ball, players getting out etc. A large number of speculators are youth. Apart from various sites and mobile apps, betting is also being done by bookies by opening accounts. The entire betting business is being run through mobile.
The syndicate is doing illegal business
The illegal business of IPL betting is being syndicated in the state. The bookies of the syndicate collect the betting money on the basis of commission and also return the increased amount if the bet is won. Bookies are given responsibilities according to the localities. Bookies take money through cash, phone pay, Google pay and Paytm etc. To play betting, one has to open an account by paying advance to the bookie. The amount of advance can range from Rs 100 to Rs 1 lakh. The bookie also gets a commission for every time the account is opened and the amount placed in betting thereafter.
Moneylenders are trapping the youth
Moneylenders also encourage the youth to invest money in betting. Local people, who secretly work as moneylenders, lend money to the youth for betting at huge interest rates. Later they pressurize them to return the entire amount along with interest. Due to pressure, youth first borrow from friends and relatives and then do not shy away from stealing from their own homes as well as from acquaintances’ places.
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Hi-tech speculators out of reach of police
The IPL betting market is quite hi-tech. There are dozens of platforms available for betting on the internet. Even at the local level, betting is being played by creating online platforms. The headquarters of most platforms are said to be outside India. Apart from this, bookies also change SIM cards continuously. For these reasons, bookies are out of the reach of the police. The illegal betting business has not been exposed so far in the state.
Case Study: 01
The son of a reputed businessman of Upper Bazaar got addicted to IPL betting. Initially he won some money. He remained constantly busy on the phone during the match. Then out of greed he started taking big bets. Borrowed from friends and relatives when he lost. Then he started collecting money from moneylenders and investing it in betting. After a few days, people with criminal tendencies started visiting his house. When asked by his parents, the boy told his family about betting and borrowing. The family members repaid the loan by making the boy swear never to gamble again. But after a few days, people started reaching home again demanding to repay the loan. It was found that the amount borrowed was in lakhs. When the boy was asked, he started talking about not remembering and committing suicide. Due to social reasons, the businessman did not go to the police and sent the boy to his relative outside the state. Even now the moneylenders are searching for the boy and demanding money from the family members.
Case Study: 02
A student of Kanke Road, studying in a prestigious school of the city, started feeling very sad. He stopped leaving the house. He did not go to school for several days on the pretext of illness. Started staying locked in his room the whole day. After a lot of asking by his parents, he told that he has been betting on IPL for a long time. Won in the beginning. Partyed with friends with the winning money. But then he started losing. Due to lack of money, he stole some items from the house and sold them. He told that he got acquainted with some people while playing betting. He lent money on interest. Now they are pressurizing them to return the money by adding interest worth lakhs of rupees. They are also threatening to beat up if the money is not paid. The boy’s father works in a private company. They don’t understand what to do.