KARACHI – The Greatest Match Ever, the ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final between Pakistan and India at Mohali, is here and Karachi’s bookmakers expect the cash to rain: more than 60 billion rupees are expected to change hands during the match, but a majority of bettors have gambled on an Indian win.
“At least 40,000 people have placed wagers of substantial amounts, but of these, 30,664 have bet on India,” a bookmaker, speaking to Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity, said with a hearty laugh. “The entire country is offering prayers for Pakistan to win, but those who place wagers seem to think India will guarantee handsome returns.
Remarkable though is the fact that heavy sums have been pledged despite the odds for the match yet to be finalised. “Bhao tou abhi tak tay nahin hua (the odds have yet to be decided),” the bookmaker said, “but the daughter of a government functionary has bet 10 million rupees on a Pakistan win, while a renowned film actress has put 5 million rupees on an Indian win. Yet another actress has placed a wager of one million rupees on an Indian win with our Islamabad partners,” he said.
The enthusiasm to bet on the semi-final is such that bookmakers in Karachi have already reached the ceilings allowed – said to run in the billions. “The book I own has a limit of one billion rupees, and I select my customers from the business community of Karachi,” another high-profile bookie told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity.
“Our books have crossed their limits and we had to contact our associates in India to consider our deals. But even they refused to do so, as they have also closed their books,” he said. “As many as 173 bookies of Karachi have closed their books, having made deals with more than 40,000 gamblers. High-profile government officials, bureaucrats, forces’ personnel, and the business community constitute the majority of this clientele,” he claimed.
According to the bookmaker, since the books being run in Pakistan and India have shot their limits, those who still want to place bets have to do so with United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based bookies. “Hundreds of billions of rupees have already been shifted to the UAE, and many bookmakers from Karachi, Mumbai and other cities of the subcontinent are now depending on the UAE bookies,” he said.
