From normal to whimsical Indian punters spend millions on World Cup betting Click here for more on this story Posted: Wednesday May 19, 1999 10:07 AM   Most bookies are putting their money on favorite South Africa to come away with the World Cup. AP NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) -- The kingpins of India's underground betting sit in Dubai. They know punters bet on the mundane to the ridiculous, but above all they bet on cricket. Local bookies operating out of the dingy allies of Delhi's bullion market say billions of rupees have been placed on the outcome of the cricket World Cup in England. "Bookies sitting in Dubai run the actual market. They take the bets from Delhi and Bombay while we take the stakes from the smaller cities," said one bookie, squatting cross-legged in a tiny office in Kucha Mahajani, Asia's largest bullion market. Betting is illegal in India except on horse racing. Many Indians bet regularly, often in large amounts placed on trust. Most of the business is conducted via telephone and bets are accepted only from people introduced by reliable friends. Bookies are wary of saying how big their business is but say the total amount runs into millions of U.S. dollars. Wagers can cover the strangest of ideas, and the cricket World Cup is the perfect tournament for indulging such whims. Who will be the first batsman to be knocked out by a pace bowler's bouncer? How many times will a particular batsman get run out in the tournament? The north western city of Jaipur and the central city of Indore, rich with money linked to commodities trading, are among major betting centers in cricket-crazy India. Some spectators bet on every ball. Bookies say the main odds in the World Cup are broadly in line with those of London bookmakers who give South Africa as the clear favorites at 5-2. The odds in India on the South African team are 2.75-1. "The maximum money is riding on South Africa. They are almost everybody's favorite," said Sanjeev Chand, a bullion trader in Delhi's Kucha Mahajani. Australia has 3.5-1 odds with Pakistan at 4-1. Home advantage gives England odds of 5-1. Millions of Indians are yearning for an Indian victory but bookies are not letting their feelings override their business sense. The odds on India are 10-1.   Related information Stories India hopeful of Tendulkar's quick return South Africa opens World Cup campaign with a win Companies cashing in as cricket fever grips India Multimedia Click here for the latest audio and video Search our site Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI. Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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