Bets open on Indo-Pak series

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />MUMBAI: By giving the green signal for the Indian cricket team’s tour to Pakistan, Prime Minister Vajpayee has unwittingly given a boost to the <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/263582.cms" target="_blank">sagging betting industry</a>."The turnover during the Indian team’s tour of Australia was nothing to write home about. But a clash between India and Pakistan invariably takes the <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/18786.cms" target="_blank">betting</a> graph to dizzy heights. The coming series is expected to push the turnover to record levels," a Mumbai-based bookie told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">TNN</span>.</div> <div align="right" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="right" border="1" width="35.6%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/498536.cms" alt="/photo/498536.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />The <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bhaav </span>(opening of bets) is expected to take place on Monday after which the price commanded by the teams and individual members will be known. In Mumbai, big time bookies like Sobhan Mehta, Laxmichand Thana, Hitesh Thana, Virendra Borivli, Kothari, Lalaji Indore and Chhote Miyan are readying to accept bets. They have set up a ‘control room’ in Airoli which is armed with dozens of telephones, hot lines and computers with internet links.<br /><br />Delhi-based bookies like Mukesh Dilli, Ruby Dilli, Pritam Dilli and Kaycee Goel of Indore are also readying for action. Karachi-based bookies like Pervez Khan, Jaffarbhai, Takla and Hanif Karachi are already in touch with their counterparts in Mumbai and Delhi.<br /><br />Sources said match fixers like Subhash Indore of Navi Mumbai are also trying to get into the act despite the recent furore over match fixing. Sources said attempts at match fixing will certainly be made since the stakes run into hundreds of crores, also since none of the bookies involved in the racket in the past was punished by the Indian government.<br /><br />A <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">khabri </span>from the underworld had even handed over to the government a video cassette of the wedding of a cricketer which was attended by Sobhan Mehta which proved the proximity of the two persons. But the government took no action. Meanwhile, betting on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections has begun in right earnest. On Sunday, the <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bhav </span>on the possibility of the BJP bagging 200 seats was 55 paise.<br /><br />It means that if you bet Rs 1,000 on the BJP winning 200 seats, you make a profit of Rs 550 if the results prove you correct. If it bags less than 200 seats, you give Rs 1,000 to the bookie. The <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">bhav </span>on the Congress winning 100 seats is 50 paise.<br /><br />Many of those laying bets feel Sharad Pawar’s NCP will win only 10 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra.<br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>