Thanks to betting on FIFA matches, many youngsters are richer by a few lakhs in just one month. They might not be professional punters but the game of guessing is gaining popularity and everything from flashy bikes and cars to latest gizmos is on stake for the final match
Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of Brazil brought a lot of fortune to a few, like this lucky punter from Essex, who ended up winning £2,505. He had put a £5 stake on Germany to win 7-1 at odds of 500/1. Others who backed a 5-0 half-time netted some healthy four-figure rewards. And among these are also some youngsters from India, who might not be professional punters or regular at betting, but the game of guessing is bringing them good money this FIFA season.
Sample this. Twenty five-year-old Saket Sharma quit his job of a marketing official at a huge firm over a month and a half ago, exactly when the FIFA was about to begin. Reason, he wanted to concentrate on matches and put his money on the right team to accumulate moolahs. He hesitantly reveals that so far he has won over Rs 2 lakh, which is almost half of his annual gross salary. He is keeping his fingers crossed and is speculating that his profits will double up if Germany emerges as a winner of the FIFA World Cup. like him, there are many others who are making most of their FIFA knowledge and earning money. Unlike professional punters, who are used to gaining and losing big amount, young guns play smart and begin with small stakes, as low as Rs 1,000. “But it can be an addiction,” warns a student on the condition of anonymity. He says that apart from betting money, betting in kind is also common among youngsters. From flashy mobile phones to cars, everything is being put on stake. “Since betting is illegal here, everything happens behind closed doors and is utter secret. But I have friends as young as 19-year-old betting on FIFA matches. Since most of them have limited money to put at stake, they rely on commodities and I have friends who have even sold their bikes or their laptops to bet on FIFA matches,” says Arpit Varma, a student. Most youngsters get into betting just to have “an experience and to have fun” but once they win, it is tough to get rid of the betting addiction. “Not everyone is lucky when it comes to betting, which is done in various forms, like there is betting on the matches, on the number of goals a particular player would score, a number of goals during first 15 minutes of the match and so on. It is advised to not always go by the popular perception. One should do the research well, read on the kind of money being put on stake across the globe and then take risk,” says 34-year-old Ashmit Arora, who has won over Rs 25 lakh this season, after putting in over Rs 40 lakh.
When the matches begin, three teams were favourite among the punters — Brazil, Argentina and Germany. Odds on Brazil winning the final was Rs 3.5 on every rupee. Similarly, the odds for Argentina and Germany were Rs 4.5 and Rs 4.7 on every rupee, respectively. But since the final match is approaching and the situation is fierce with Brazil out of the world cup, odds on Germany winning the final is 84 paise on every rupee. For instance, if you bet Rs 100 on Germany and if the team wins the world cup than you stand to gain Rs 84. Similarly, the odds for Argentina and Netherlands lifting the cup are Rs 2.75 and Rs 4.10 on every rupee, respectively.