What is Satta Matka?

Satta Matka is just a betting and lottery game, that gained popularity in the early 1960s. Being popularly referred to as “Satta”, one the reasons for its flared practice is the increased rate of unemployment. Besides, it’s human nature to get attracted to quick and easy income sources.

Satta Matka even involves betting on a large scale. That’s why it is sometimes referred to as the king of gambling. The decade between the 1980s and 1990s saw matka gambling reach its peak. At that time, the business had a turnover of around 500 crore Rs. per month.

Seeing the expanding web of illegal activities, Mumbai Police launched a massive raid which put a full-stop on Satta matka business. After this, the peckish people got indulged in lotteries or started betting online on cricket matches.

Currently, tons of websites and apps organize betting and Satta matka. But the primary focus is shifted to fantasy leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), and the business is being widely promoted on televisions.

Origin of Satta Matka

Originally known as “ankada jugar”, Satta Matka emerged in the form of betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton. Before India’s independence, cotton was supplied from New York Cotton Exchange to the Bombay Cotton Exchange.

In 1961, the New York Cotton Exchange halted the cotton transmission. Due to this, Satta Matka suffered a major downfall which caused the punters to look for an alternative to keep the business alive.

To overcome this, a Sindhi migrant Ratan Khatri introduced the concept of betting on the opening and closing rates of imaginary products or playing cards. In this type of betting, numbers are written on the pieces of paper and dumped into a matka. Then the host would draw a chit and announce the winning numbers.

Over time, the practice evolved with incorporating several amendments but the name “matka” survived.

In the 1980s-1990s, the matka business attained its peak as the betting volume exceeded 500 crores every month. After Mumbai Police anti-gambling operation, punters were forced to conceal themselves in the outskirts of the city.

Since 1995, the number of bookies declined tremendously to only 300. During the 2000s, the monthly turnover swept away and remained only 100 crores. Presently, the matka business is practiced around the Maharashtra region.

How to Play Satta Matka?

  • A punter chooses three numbers between 0 to 9. You can guess a variety of types including Open, Close, Jodi, Panel, Sangam, Jackpot among others.
  • The three numbers are added together and the second digit is noted down along with the original three numbers.
  • Then the punter is left with four numbers, from which he can bet on any number or number sequences based on his algorithm of choice.
  • The punter will be declared “satta or matka king” only if his bet number matches with the announced number.

Although it’s illegal to play Satta matka in Bharatam, it is still one of the flourishing business sectors in India. The reason behind this is that most people play it covertly.

How to Become a “Satta King”?

The foremost step to ace the satta matka is to learn the charts and rules. Precisely, you have to understand the relevance of the words, Open, Close, Jodi, Panel, Jackpot, and Sangam.

After learning them thoroughly, you’ll get the standard idea on which number the next satta matka will open.

To calculate, you’ve to sum up the last two digits of two consecutive days. This will impart an idea of the opening number of the next day.

The number obtained after the summation of the last two digits should be subtracted with the first last digit number.

For example, the closing number on Friday and Saturday was 41 and 52 respectively. Then you’ve to add 1+2=3. Now, “3” would give you an insight into what the first digit of the opening number on the next day could be.

Though, before entering the arena, you should follow satta matka charts for at least two weeks. Even if you got the first digit right, you have to guess the last digit correctly as well to win big.

Due to the presence of various formats of satta matka in India, you should focus on one format only. This is so because every game has its own charts and rules which makes it tricky to handle multiple formats at a time.

Who was “Matka King” Kalyanji Bhagat?

Kalyanji Bhagat was a poor farmer born in the village of Ratadia, Kutch, Gujarat. His nickname was “Gala” and the “Bhagat” title was bestowed to them by the King of Kutch for their religiosity.

He landed in Bombay as a migrant in 1941 and did various jobs such as a spice seller and as a manager in a grocery store.

During the 1960s, Kalyanji Bhagat began the first matka gambling while running a grocery shop in Worli. The bets were placed on the opening and closing rates of cotton traded in the New York market.

It is believed that he used to operate the entire gambling from the compound of his residence, “Vinod Mahal” in Worli.

After his demise, his son Suresh Bhagat took over his matka gambling business.

Impact on Bollywood Industry

When the matka business was at its peak stage, the matka kings became powerful enough to leave their impressions even in the Bollywood industry.

In the feature film “Dharmatma” based on Ratan Khatri’s life, actor Prem Nath played Ratan Khatri. Even Ratan Khatri accumulated the budget and acted in the movie “Rangila Ratan.”

Satta Matka Trends

The Google 2018 trends data revealed that “satta” and “matka” were the top searched words in Madhya Pradesh of India.

As per the Google data, “satta” was the 4th most searched word with a score of 36, while “matka” ranked 6th with a score of 23.

The obsession with UPI betting is increasing rapidly as just recently, the Indian Premier League was here. Besides, the league was sponsored by several top betting companies, which may be the source of today’s dauntless betting and gambling.

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