Delhi's casino royale: Illegal gambling industry thrives around Diwali, posh farmhouses become addas

The city's illegal gambling industry has hit the jackpot with about 20 syndicates mopping up close to Rs 1,000 crore around Diwali.

Cops say makeshift casinos set up in farmhouses and other upmarket addresses are drawing high rollers and businessmen flush with cash, often of the illicit kind. South Delhi has emerged as a big hub of such gambling dens with police unearthing two casinos this week and arresting over three dozen businessmen as well as organisers.

Sources say the illegal trade is also thriving in the city's suburbs of Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Noida.

Gambling card games are often played in both villages and cities around Diwali, as it is generally considered auspicious to gamble during the festival.

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POLICE RAIDS FARMHOUSE IN VASANT KUNJ, ARRESTS 8

In the raid on Friday morning at a 3000-yard farmhouse in Vasant Kunj, police arrested eight people and confiscated thousands of betting chips worth crores of rupees. Most gambling in the country, from penny-stake games at street corners and card parties in affluent homes to wagers on cricket and underground numbers games, is illicit and goes untaxed.

Among those arrested on Friday are some women who cops say are trained casino operators and worked at casinos in Nepal before coming to Delhi.

The police are now looking for the contractor for whom the women worked.

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"The casino had a professional setup as there were three imported playing tables and the organisers had hired four Nepalese girls who were trained in conducting the games. The rent of the farmhouse was Rs 2.5 lakh a month and in one night they had planned to make several crores," a senior police officer told Mail Today.

Crores of rupees were wagered each day and a player had to spend a minimum of Rs 5 lakh for entry with each chip worth Rs 1 lakh. "This party was arranged ahead of Diwali and many more such parties were planned. It had a closed group of players and no outsider was invited. Only people with references could play the game," the officer said.

The entry to the farmhouse was restricted and allowed only through references.

ANOTHER ILLEGAL CASINO IN SAINIK FARMS

A similar illegal casino was busted by cops on Sunday in south Delhi's Sainik Farms which had roulette and blackjack tables as well as gambling chips worth crores. Thirty-six businessmen, table attendants and others were arrested in what the police have billed as the biggest catch in recent times.

Gurgaon police in January last year busted a casino in the city that had been operating illegally from a house in L-block of DLF City phase 2 for over a month.

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Investigating officers say they have found nearly two dozen such illegal casinos that cropped up just for Diwali, but they are changing locations and only members are informed about the time and venue of the next event. These dens are popular among property dealers, transporters, businessmen and industrialists, who are approached by the agents of organisers working on the basis of commission.

"Agents reach out to businessmen who have unaccounted or black money to invest in games. These agents get commission on total money spent on bets by the player. The more the money, the more is the commission. It is estimated that over Rs 700 to 1,000 crore is riding on gambling during Diwali," the officer said. The confirmation about the invites comes at the eleventh hour.

SECRET CODES, SPECIAL COINS: HOW GAMBLERS FUNCTION

The players are given a secret code, which they have to reveal at the entry gate. The attendants at the entry point have names of the players and registration numbers of the cars.

The organisers provide a special coin as an identity insignia for members. The person, who introduces a new member, gets a free coin to encash at the counters.

Once a person was done playing, he would have to provide a contact number and an address where the organisers could inform him about the dates of the next game. Such parties were not a daily affair and dates would be announced through messengers.

"Money is calculated according to the chips which are given a value. The minimum value assigned to chips at the casino in Sainik Farms was Rs 1 lakh. All the transaction is done a day after and all in cash as money invested are mostly unaccounted," officer said.

However experts' say police may have acted on a tip before Diwali but illegal casinos are thriving in all major cities and have become a major source of investing black money as the trade is controlled by criminals. The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has made a representation for making casinos legal.

"The casino business has huge potential as it can generate revenue for state government. Illegal trade and black money is involved in it as it is not legal. But as soon as a state decides to legalise and regulate it, many corporates will come forward to operate it professionally, generating huge revenue for the state government," said Roland Landers, CEO of the not-for-profit AIGF.

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Gambling den busted ahead of Diwali in south Delhi farmhouse, 36 arrested