But the bets are much smaller these days and not all the clients have access to the Internet and not all can be trusted with the e-mail addresses. All you need is a telephone and a television set. Police raids on betting hideouts have never thrown up hard cash but only documents. The documents seized reveal how business is done. Odds change every now and then, a couple of quick wickets or a rash of boundaries can tilt the scales.
Payment is made according to the odds at the time of placing a bet.
Some bookies take advantage of the call transfer facility. A number can have several call transfer locations. We recently got to know of a number used by a bookie and traced it to the Chembur suburb but found nothing fishy at that flat. Finally we raided a house in Chunabhatti, where the call was being transferred,'' said Shirish. A Crime Branch officer said Dawood's foray into betting lent credence to the allegation that players were bought during tournaments in the Gulf.