The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) tracked down the four bookies.
Jaipur: Match fixing in IPL allegations are back as four bookies have been arrested. The bookies – two of were picked up from the luxury boxes at the Sawai Mansingh stadium during Rajasthan Royals game versus Delhi Capitals on March 28 – and the other two were picked up from the Wankhede stadium. All the four suspected bookies have been handed over to the police for questioning. The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) tracked down the four bookies.
So, why do bookies prefer placing bets from the stadium?
The bookies prefer it because they get the access to cut down on time lag that comes from live broadcast, known as pitch-sliding, to make profits through illegal betting. It is strange that betting is illegal in the country, yet it happens to be the biggest market of cricket betting in the world.
This particular incident raises a lot of concerns. First, how are passes being allotted to luxury boxes? It would be interesting to see the findings after the questioning by the police. This is not the first time that bookies have been nabbed. In the 2021 IPL, bookies had reportedly got hold of an accredited cleaner at Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium to do pitch-siding before the ACU apprehended the man.