With the IPL season in full swing, beware if you have a friend or relative taking too much interest in cricket, asking for large sums of cash from the family, ready to take loans, and even willing to pay usurious interest - he could be bitten by the 'IPL Betting' bug. Millionaires, auto drivers and everyone in between are said to have been caught in this betting menace, which many participants say is a big trap waiting to suck you in. Once you have bitten the betting bug, there is no freedom, there is no release. It is like digging your own grave and walking into it. So dangerous are the consequences of betting that one can lose lakhs of rupees, and even fortunes, on a single cricket match. In Gurgaon, IPL Betting has found a large number of ‘patrons’. Some people who have burnt themselves in this betting say that people with large amounts of cash - traders, land owners, property dealers and even students - have been indulging in this ‘sport’. Akash (name changed), who actively bet in the last two IPL series, says that he has lost almost one crore rupees in betting (also called ‘satta), and he says that there are many more like him. “I have lost my mind. I have to pay Rs. 3 lakhs per month as interest to those who loaned me the money for the betting. I don’t have any source of regular income. I have land, which has increased much in value, and that was why people gave me money,” he says. The IPL betting network has a formidable logistics network, and there are a large number of bookies that take the bets, accept the money and then distribute it to those who have won the bets – after taking their Shylock cuts. Another person who has lost a lot says that, like the cricket commentary that comes ‘live’ on TV, the betting network also runs a live commentary on mobile phones. This can be heard by betters on payment of a fee. The commentary covers live betting rates and the odds, which keep on changing with every ball. The time difference between the TV telecast and the live betting commentary is also sometimes used by the betting syndicate to make a ‘profit’.
The ‘victims’ say that they got involved in betting primarily because it was a source of entertainment, and also to make some money in the process. “It looks easy. And while there is no one who really pushes you into it, it is almost impossible to exit”, they say. The odds in gambling are always staked against individuals, and for every winner there are multiple losers. Deepak Kumar (name changed) says that people have not only lost their fortunes and taken huge debt, some have even committed suicide. Akash, servicing a debt of one crore, says that the pressure of the debtors is so much that it is impossible for him to move out – whether within the village or even in the city. He adds that a number of youth from cash rich families in villages also indulge in this pastime, and it has become an addiction for many. Even corporate executives have caught the betting bug, with many putting money on their favourite team and players. Apart from the match result, Akash says that a lot money is won or lost on ‘sessions’, wherein bets are placed on how much a team will score within a few specific overs. Many of the people also bet on the total that a particular team will score. Although the ‘intelligent’ try to hedge their risks by betting on both teams, this ‘strategy’ often fails…and then, once addicted, they look for big wins. Akash says that his family members initially did not know that he had taken to betting - he told them he was engaged in business. However, the loss of one crore has rattled his family, and he is now trying to compensate the loss. However, he realises that it will be impossible unless he sells a small chunk of his land. The presence of a large number of people who are ready to loan money at high interest rates is also giving a boost to IPL Betting. The ‘dead’ real estate market has left many holding tonnes of ‘dead’ cash. “It has become quite easy to obtain large sums of money on loan without any guarantees, and that is what prompted me to bet. However, I have lost a large amount and I will never return to IPL,” says another individual. Sanjay, a Gurgaon-based realtor, says that there are a number of people in the City who place heavy bets on IPL matches and win or lose a couple of lakhs in a day. Most seem to start with a win, but eventually end up losing large sums of money as they desperately try to recover their mounting losses. People who indulge in this ‘passion’ for betting sell their shops, put their houses on mortgage and even sell family ornaments, he adds. A major issue with IPL Betting, compared to horse racing, is that the odds keep on changing (literally with every ball), and most ‘players’ soon find themselves out of their depth. The issues of match fixing and spot fixing have further complicated IPL Betting, as large syndicates are believed to have taken control behind the scenes. The international betting at the recent Cricket World Cup would have been about Rs 4,000 crores, an official of the Enforcement Directorate had reportedly said after catching some major operators (and the money being put on IPL, which is more popular with ‘satta’ players, could be even more, say sources). Bookies at the World Cup were said to be in real time contact with their counterparts in Pakistan and Dubai, and could take bets of even ten crores on a single match. Internet technology, mobile phones, live commentary and a well-knit network based on referrals seemingly helps the betting syndicate stay ahead of the legal system. Would the rounding up of illegal operators or the legalisation of betting help matters? Would it help the addicted? The jury seems to be out on that.
Others who have lost a lot of money also have similar views, and vow that they will never repeat the mistake of gambling. However, psychologists say that it is difficult to get rid of this addiction - betting is to a gambler what heroin is to a drug addict. Once a person starts to lie about his gambling and hides it from his family and friends, it is a strong indication that this habit is no longer a ‘recreation’ but an addiction. Do be alert and check if anyone you know is often thinking and talking about cricket and IPL matches and gambling. As a ‘better’, if you are gambling more and increasing the stakes (to get back your money), it is a sign of addiction. If someone is borrowing money from friends and family, or has taken loans on high interest rates, do look into this issue with seriousness. If someone has ‘suddenly’ lost a job or a friend, that too could be a sign. A couple of years ago, an owner of a shop in Palam Vihar had to sell his business to cover his losses in IPL Betting. He is said to have migrated to another State. Akash, when asked why he did not tell friends and family that he had gone ‘broke’, smiles wryly and says that peer pressure in the village and the community would never allow him to renege on the promise that he has made while borrowing the money. “I have made my mistakes and have hopefully learnt…the hard way. I want to tell people to keep a watch on their family members, and prevent them from falling into such traps,” he says. People who have burnt their fingers in IPL Betting say that gambling and gamblers needs to be tackled as a social problem, just like drinking and alcoholics, and the addicts need to be helped. It’s maybe time for GA - Gamblers Anonymous.
A youth addicted to IPL Betting had made the following confession on a social website: ‘My story starts two years back when we all friends went out for a dinner party...there I saw one of my friend making bets for a cricket match…within 30 mins or so he won 15000 bucks. I got really excited by this and asked him how to make bets and all other stuffs. He gave me his bookies number…I thought it was fun and what harm it would do even if I lose few thousands...in the first few matches i made small bets which i lost...then i thought its better to cover all the money at once by making a bigger bet...but i lost that too...slowly the hole started getting bigger. I always use to tell myself let me cover my all money & will surely stop this betting..but it didn't happen. I started loosing huge sums…I may be have won few times... all my savings were gone...i started borrowing money from my friends & relatives even from money lenders on huge interest rates...and i lost all the money...there came a time when there was hardly anyone left in my contact list from whom I would have not asked for money...right now i owe a lot of money to lot of people...my family doesn't know anything about it..I just pretend that everything is alright...everyday...every moment i think how i am going to pay them back...what if my family comes to know about my debts & betting addiction...that feeling really shatters my heart...now there's not a single person in society who will lend me a penny...I face insults...humiliation every single day...even my friends keep insulting me. I just wish if god would have killed me two years back before I was going with my friends for dinner...I would have not gone through all this suffering...through this post I just want people who are addicted to gambling to know that how drastically it can change your life…and your loved ones life’.
The problems caused by IPL Betting are not restricted to one city. A few months ago a well-known businessman of Karnataka, who enjoyed a good reputation, committed suicide. He used to take loans ostensibly for expanding his factory and business, but had been silently placing large bets on IPL matches. He lost a heavy amount. Sources say that the industrialist had a debt of almost Rs. 5 crores, which he owed to his relatives, friends and acquaintances. Even the close-knit community that he belonged to had no whiff of his betting habit.
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