When Matka Met Gambling?
Satta Matka gambling is a popular lottery game in India, where random numbers are generated traditionally by drawing a slip from an earthen pitcher, called Matka. The modern variant uses dealing with playing cards as well, albeit being illegal in India.
Tracing the Origins
Progress and innovation arise from the exchange of ideas between different people from various regions and cultures, and games are no exception to it. Satta Matka gambling was inspired by the New York Cotton Exchange’s little recreation of placing bets on the opening and closing rates of cotton prices. Although they stopped practiced in 1961, the Bombay Stock Exchange's punters had already taken notice, and it seemed like an opportunity to keep the Matka business afloat.
Playing the Odds
Imaginary numbers and playing cards replaced the cotton rates from New York, and the Matka contained all pieces of paper with numbers scribbled on them. The concept of betting is straightforward as one person draws a slip from within the pitcher and declares the winning numbers. As the leader running the syndicate, they were referred to as “Matka King.”
Twisting up the Game
The traditional form of Satta Matka started in 1962 as the brainchild of Kayanji Bhagat, and it is called “Worli Matka”. Ratan Khatri took the same game and modified the odds in 1964 to favour the public more. His version ran for five days a week, while Worli Matka was still popular and running throughout the entire week. As Khatri’s vision gained popularity, it became known as “Main Ratan Matka.”
Introduction to Pop Culture
The tales of Matka kings and the essence around the entire operation drew interest from Bollywood. For instance, the film Dharmatma by Feroz Khan was based on the life of Ratan Khatri.
The Significant Rise and Spectacular Fall
Matka gambling flourished among textile mill workers in Mumbai, especially around Parel in the Central part and Kalbadevi in South Bombay. The bookies opened shops around the mills as several workers flocked in to try their luck.
During the ‘80s and ‘90s, the business was booming. The estimated value of bets soared to over Rs. 500 crore a month. There were over 2000 large and medium scale bookies in Mumbai and the suburbs until it drew the state police's attention.
The Mumbai Police conducted operations to bring down illegal Matka Gambling joints. A significant number of punters found their calling online and that lotteries. It was during the crackdown on matka dens, gambling in cricket matches saw a rise.
Since 1995, the numbers of Matka gamblers have dwindled to less than 300, and the monthly turnover does not exceed Rs. 100 crore. However, Maharastra continues to be the center for lotteries.
Play Close to the Chest
Satta Matka is a game of chance, and your skills in reading the game may or may not improve your chances of winning. You can learn about the charts and predict an outcome, but a win or loss is never guaranteed.
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