Nearly Rs 2,500 crore was up for grabs on Sunday as the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals kept bookies across the country on their toes.
"For bookmakers in Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Agra (the major centres for betting), this was a mega event. Nearly Rs 2,500 crore was at stake, with almost Rs 300 crore from Chennai. It is estimated that a total of Rs 20,000 crore was wagered during the 44 days of IPL matches," a cricket broker told The Times Of India.
Speculation was high for Rajasthan Royals after their 12 victories in the Twenty-20 matches played in the Indian Premier Leagues, but Chennai Super Kings emerged as favourites for bookmakers across India after their stunning victory in the semi-final against Kings Punjab XI.
Bettors pumped in money on different parameters linked to individual performances for star players, with the odds going up as much as 1:475. That is, if you bet Re 1 on a particular player scoring a particular score, you will get back Rs 475 if it actually happens. Many had backed M S Dhoni and Graeme Smith at 1:425 and 1:450 respectively.
Chennai has become a hotbed for bookmakers, and considerable number of bookies are active with at least 30 agents and brokers, who introduce to the bookies for betting.
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