Matka gambling makes slow comeback in Hyderabad despite police crackdown

Recent police raids suggest illegal matka gambling is slowly resurfacing in parts of Hyderabad despite years of sustained enforcement. Police say operators are attempting to rebuild betting networks through informal channels, prompting intensified surveillance and strict action against organisers, facilitators and participants.

Hyderabad: For the last few years, the city police largely managed to keep the menace of ‘matka’ gambling in check through sustained crackdowns and stricter legal provisions. However, recent police raids indicate that the illegal betting network is slowly making a comeback in parts of the city, raising concerns.

The latest instance surfaced in Attapur, where police arrested seven persons allegedly involved in an illegal matka operation and seized cash, mobile phones and playing cards during a raid. While the case itself may appear routine, it reflects a worrying trend of gambling activities resurfacing in residential localities after remaining relatively subdued for a considerable long time.

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Police officials attribute the earlier decline in matka operations to the aggressive crackdown launched over the past few years, during which organisers, financiers and habitual offenders were booked in a series of cases.

The enactment of stricter provisions under the Telangana Gaming Act during the previous BRS government also played a significant role in curbing the business. “Frequent raids, surveillance and preventive detention of key operators had forced many gambling syndicates to either shut down or shift their operations outside the city,” said a senior police official.

However, it is also observed that there has been a gradual increase in attempts to revive the network, with small groups allegedly conducting betting activities in open spaces, secluded localities and labour colonies.

Police believe organisers are trying to rebuild their customer base through informal networks and mobile phone communication while keeping operations low profile to evade being traced.

They maintain that they are closely monitoring such activities and have intensified intelligence gathering in areas where gambling offences were previously reported.

Officials warned that strict action would be taken not only against organisers but also against those facilitating or participating in illegal betting.

With sporadic cases now emerging across different parts of the city, police said they are taking all possible measures to prevent the illegal trade from regaining the foothold it once enjoyed.