IPL 2017: How to bet? Bookmakers find new way to hoodwink cops, tip RCB to win

The 10th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to begin on April 5 and bookies have tipped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as favorites for the title. However, they found a new way to hoodwink cops by taking to apps for betting.

Bookies have taken to apps to hoodwink cops during the IPL season beginning on April 5, with Royal Challengers Bangalore the odds-on favourites to win the tournament.

Virat Kohli, who is one of the key players in the Royal Challengers Bangalore side, will miss the first few games due to injury. The bets are expected to gross more than Rs 2000 crore for the entire Indian Premier League (PTI)

What’s more demonetisation has led to a cash crunch and so gold and property could be used as stakes, say police sources and insiders in the business.

The bets are expected to gross more than Rs 2000 crore for the entire tournament with the Virat Kohli led RCB team being followed by Rising Pune Supergiants, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions as favourites.

Sources said some 35 apps could be used to place bets and view matches live. Many of the apps such as betfair and bet365 are easily available as betting/gambling is legal in several countries.

Bookies, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that once the tournament progresses there would be changes depending on the form of players, injuries and performances.

Apart from the results of the match, bets would also be placed on the numbers of fifties, sixes hit, runs scored, wickets and runs per over.

Police officials said they were on high alert and working to break the betting rings. Some officials said there was a need to bring in stricter laws as getting bail under the present laws covering gambling was easy and the IPC sections of cheating and forgery which police apply after raids do not stand the test in courts.

Bookies in the past few years have been avoiding operating from Mumbai because of police pressure and raids but police added this year they could be back in the city as they are using apps to place bets and can easily operate even from public places without attracting attention.