Bored with cricket, bookies turn to Anna

While Anna Hazare and his team have been happy with the global attention their protest has garnered as it helps highlight their cause, they will probably not be too amused to learn that their protest is now the centre of attention for bookies too.For, with the India-England test series throwing up no surprises, bookies were looking to make a killing from the next big thing and Annas protest, they say, has given them an opportunity to do just that.So, starting with the Gandhians arrest on August 16, bookies started accepting wagers on how long Anna will continue his fast. Those betting on him fasting for the entire 15-day period as sanctioned by the Delhi Police stand to gain 70 paise for every rupee and the stakes go up with differing number of days (see table).Established bookies say bets worth Rs 50 crore have already been placed and the value of bets may go up to a whopping Rs 200 crore or more as Annas fast progresses.The nations talking point has always been a major source of income for the Indian bookie. So, how can Annas protest, which has shaken the entire nation and received global attention, be left untouched, especially when we got no returns from Indias England tour, said a bookie from north Mumbai.Current betting rates are 70 paise for a 15-day fast by Anna Hazare, Rs 3 for a six-day fast and Rs 1.50 for a 9-day fast. The betting may go up to Rs 200 crore, he added.Bookies from the city said that Delhi and Jaipur are the main hubs for the betting as punters in Mumbai are lying low after the arrest of builder and alleged betting kingpin Vinod Asrani in the murder case of senior MiD DAY journalist J Dey. Many bookies from the city have left for these places to cash-in on the craze.With the nationwide publicity and the kind of support Anna has gathered, there is a strong possibility that the protest will continue for another 15 days. This is our way of showing solidarity with Anna and his cause, said another bookie.