Bombay took the lead in this racket since the 'odds' on which bets were placed in any match throughout India was determined by the bookies based in Bombay. Currently also Bombay remains the base around which all betting operations in India revolve. The 'odds' for a particular match are decided among bookies based on certain accepted criteria such as the relative strength of the two opposing teams, previous record, pitch and weather conditions, team composition, etc. For example, if two teams, 'A' and 'B', are scheduled to play, and where 'A' is perceived to be relatively weaker than 'B', then the odds may be 60 paise on 'B' and 150 paise on 'A'. After these 'odds' have been decided upon, primarily by bookies based in Mumbai, they are transmitted telephonically to bookies in different parts of India and betting starts.
Punters place bets with concerned bookies over telephone.
However, in case he loses his bet in either instance, then he pays a sum of one lakh which he placed as a bet, to the concerned Bookie. The whole betting procedure is a very flexible system in which 'odds' keep changing during the course of the match depending on how the match is progressing and the punter can conclude and place fresh bets according to his judgement. Without going into the intricacies of changing 'odds' during the course of a match, it is emphasised that bookies generally manipulate the 'odds' in such a manner that they seldom incur huge losses. It is generally the punter who risks losing his money. The 'odds', which keep fluctuating as the match progresses, are transmitted to the bookies throughout India by mobile phone, pager or through the 'Dibba' system.