Karnataka - Bangalore   

Gambling thriving in city

THE BANGALORE city police have launched a crackdown on gambling dens and raided more than 25 places in the past few months. During the raids, the police found out about new forms of gambling.

After the ban on single-digit lottery, two-digit lottery and "matka" are thriving in most parts of the city. According to the police, the traditional "matka" is on the decline as bookies have started a new form. In "matka" gambling, punters place bets on two numbers, which they call "open" and "close." If they get both the numbers right, they win 80 times the bet. If they get one number right, they are paid eight times the bet. "Matka" draws are reportedly held in Mumbai and the results are communicated to the agents in Bangalore.

However, those running lottery centres in the city are said to be conducting their own unauthorised draws on the lines of "matka." "They take bets on the last two numbers of the Karnataka State lottery tickets. After the results are announced, those who have got both numbers right are paid 80 times the bets they placed," says the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Prakash B. Moogi.

During the raids, the police found that at many places the new form of "matka" was flourishing. It is also said that those running it do not make payments promptly.

"At a few shops, mainly in Kalasipalyam, Yelahanka and surrounding areas, people were found indulging in the traditional matka, Mr. Moogi says.

In the past few months, the City Crime Branch (CCB) has raided "matka" dens in all the five police divisions in the city: North, South, East, West and Central. Raids were conducted and stake money was seized from lottery centres at Sriramapura, Madivala, RMC Yard, Ulsoor Gate, HAL, Basaveshwaranagar, Hanumanthanagar, Kalasipalyam, S.J. Park, Wilson Garden and Sadashivanagar police station limits.

The Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Alok Mohan, says the police have taken up drives against crimes and now the focus is on gambling.

Apart from raiding "matka" dens, the police have also arrested those indulging in gambling through skill games and video games. In the last week of April, the police raided two video game parlours at Maratahalli in the HAL police station limits and on Subedhar Chatram Road in the Upparpet police station limits and seized 18 video game machines worth Rs. 3 lakh.

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