Police in India bust another cricket betting racket

Police in Rachakonda carried out a raid in Satya Nagar colony closing down an online cricket betting operation.

India.- Police in Rachakonda have arrested seven people who were allegedly involved in online cricket betting. According to local media reports, a raid was conducted in Satya Nagar colony. Police arrested people for allegedly taking bets during a match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

During the raid, police seized money and found over Rs 31 lakh in two bank accounts. Officers revealed bookmakers had phone lines for players. Bets started after the first ball of the match and continued until the last ball. Bookmakers then collected money from players in cash or online.

Yesterday (April 05), police in Dakshina Kannada arrested three people on charges of betting during a Lucknow SuperGiants and Sunrisers Hyderab match.

Police carried out a raid at a public place in Kudriya in Kolnad village and found three people walking around with mobile phones in their hands and watching a cricket match on a laptop. They seized 11 mobile phones, a laptop and money.

India’s online gaming spend increased by 26% in 2021

A report from the Confederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Ernst & Young (EY) has found that the number of players paying for online gaming in India has grown 17 per cent from 80 million in 2020 to 95 million in 2021.

The total number of online gaming players increased by 8 per cent from 360 million to 390 million. By 2023, the number is expected to exceed 450 million. According to the report, the annual revenue of the online gaming segment in India grew by 28 per cent, from Rs79bn in 2020 to Rs101bn in 2021.

Transaction-based game sales rose 26 per cent, driven by an interest in real-money games such as rummy and fantasy sports. Casual and e-sports revenue grew 32 per cent due to expanded in-app purchases.