Matka gambling

Matka is a type of gambling that originated in Mumbai, India. The word Matka is often used as a synonym for "gambling" in India. Matka is known to be started and made a big money proposition in India by Ratan Khatri.

Matka is also known as Satta and is an ingenious system of gambling on numbers. Punters bet money on numbers (2 or 3 digit) and the winning number receives eighty times the sum wagered. However there are smaller wins too.

Current matka business in Mumbai

The Matka business in Mumbai(the hub city where this betting game originated) is currently run by small-time bookies primarily in the area of Kalyan and Mulund and there have been instances of criminal involvement. Ratan Khatri, quoted in an article in the Indian Express expressed his sentiment on the current scenario of Matka in the city, by saying that the game has lost its previous widespread appeal because the business has now been taken over by criminals. There are currently around 400 matka bookies in the city and above 1,000 cross the state is fake

References

• From Matka King to anonymous punter..(article in The Indian Express Nov 2007)