Guwahati: Concerns about illegal teer gambling in Guwahati, Assam grows as bookies and gamblers have taken up the digital space to get engaged with the banned activity in the state.
Teer is a unique form of betting that originated in Meghalaya. It’s based on the traditional archery skills of the Khasi tribe.
However, while the game is regulated and legal in Meghalaya, it is illegal in other states and specifically in Assam.
However, with the crackdown on illegal counters and bookies, the operators in Assam have now managed to find a systematic loophole to evade the police and law.
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Traditionally operated through physical counters, the business has now shifted predominantly online, with WhatsApp and Telegram serving as the primary platforms in Assam for placing bets and sharing results.
Bookies often operate under the guise of legitimate businesses, such as grocery stores and small “pan” stores.
Customers can pay for their bets either digitally or in cash at these disguised outlets.
Hotspots for this illegal activity have been identified in several areas of Guwahati, including Maligaon, Downtown, Bhaskar Nagar, Bamunimaidam, Hengerabari, and Satgaon.
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These locations have emerged as hubs for Teer betting, with bookies operating discreetly while sharing betting numbers through WhatsApp, Telegram and even Facebook.
In the evening meetings can be seen in certain areas in the above-mentioned localities where “gamblers” gather to check on the results.
The transition to digital platforms has made it increasingly difficult for police to track down these operators and dismantle their networks.
A source said that the locations of the operators are known to a lot of people and even the police as well as a section of the media.
However, the bookies and operators over the years have come up with methods to “manage” the police and even some media persons, the source stated.
The source further said that some of the owners of these teer counters in Assam live on the Assam-Meghalaya border.
These people issue the bookies with orders and since they live on the Meghalaya side of the border, they are not apprehended by the police in Assam.
However, their networks remain active in Assam and particularly in Guwahati which the police allegedly tend to turn a blind eye to, the source said.
But with the results being on digital space and there being no paper trail, these gamblers as well as their designated bookies continue to evade the police.