Betting And Bowling

Whether youre bowling or betting, you just have to roll with the ball to strike it big at Delhis ten-pin alleys

A teenager in keds, sweatshirt and drainpipe jeans breaks into a little jig of celebration as her bowling ball scatters 10 pins like well, ninepins. I love myself, I love myself, she squeals in excitement. She struts across to the boyfriend-in-attendance and plants herself on his lap, waiting for her next turn to come around.

Like her fellow competitors, she has paid Rs 300 to enter the Brunswick National Bowling Championship held recently at New Delhis Leisure Bowl. Shes betting that her luck will take her to the Asian championship, to be held in China later this month.

 

Just a step away from the bowling alleys (See: How to Be a Sportsman Without Sweating It Out on Page 21), the real action is taking place. A small clique of men study the players, trade comments on form a very different kind of betting. Betting on bowling isnt quite as controversial as betting on cricket, but this add-on to the sport has a fan following of its own. There are roughly 40 regular bettors in the capital, not including more casual gamblers.

The stakes could be as low as 50 paisa or a can of beer, or they could be as high as Rs 50,000 per game, which lasts for 10 minutes. Players meet at one of Delhis four centres Qutubowl, Little Paradise in Faridabad, 32nd Milestone, Gurgaon, or Leisure Bowl. Cash is collected on the spot and the winner gets the jackpot straight after the game.

Theres no betting today, but it would be difficult to hear bets being called in over the din at Leisure Bowl. Two television sets blast from the inhouse jukebox, the clatter of falling pins and the growl of gutterballs, ringing phones and the busy cafeteria selling 10-pin french fries all add up to a cacaphonous crescendo. This event is badly organised. With all this disco stuff, videos its hardly a serious event, grumbles a pro bowler.

Nobody else seems to mind or else theyve got used to it. Bowling regulars, bunkers from school, and novices have all descended into the basement in retreat from the smoggy afternoon. The hopefuls watch the automatic scoreboard nervously.

The gamblers are more relaxed. Is this a good betting day? Its Thursday and a tournament is on this is usually a weekend thing, says a veteran. In deference to the tournament, hes broken a personal rule of never rolling a ball unless moneys at stake.

Most bowling centres would rather not know about the side games. Says Jay Jadeja, manager, operations and promotions, 32nd Milestone: We dont get involved with what our guests do. I have no idea if this goes on. Adds Sanjay Chhabria, director, market development, AMF Bowling (India): Betting is not organised by anyone or any centre. Its no different from golf, where you lay a bet for the price of a nimbu-pani.

His estimate might be slightly off the mark. Betting can go from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000 a game, says 21-year old Amas, who began his gambling with a 50 paisa stake per game last year. I never bet more than Rs 1,000. You can lose a lot many guys keep losing, and just keep putting in more and more money. Concurs Probir, a regular on the circuit: My monthly pocket money is Rs 3,500 but I carry over much more than that.

Though most bettors also play the game, theres a divide between the bowlers who bet and those who are betted on. Most players dont realise that theyre the focus of interest. We dont watch them overtly, nor do we focus on technique. Its far more intuitive you have to spot whos going to crack under pressure, and wholl perform well. I havent done too badly, but thats because I bet only when Im sure Ive spotted a certain winner, says Amas.

Low-stakes gambling in bowling alleys has almost achieved respectability elsewhere. The game was played (and probably betted on) in Egypt in 3,200 BC, and gained popularity in the US over the last two centuries. In 1841, Connecticut outlawed nine-pin lanes, saying that they caused too much gambling. Recently, the game scored when the US passed a bill legalising low-stakes games.

Betting, of course, has a long and colourful history in India. But though bowling has witnessed a resurgence in the last two years, its been around since the 60s. Thats when a USAID team at the Qutab Hotel in South Delhi installed second-hand bowling equipment, which they donated to the Indian Tourism Development Corporation when they left.

Now, India is on the verge of getting some professional help, again from the US. Brunswick and AMF, the two companies that monopolise bowling equipment, are betting that the game thats enjoyed by 100 million people in more than 90 countries worldwide, will catch on in India.

Over the next seven months, AMF Bowling (India) proposes to set up a total of eight alleys across the country. Says Sanjay Chabbria of AMF: Our target is the urban, upper middle class in the 14-35 age group. The US has one lane for every 2,000 people. We are aiming at one lane in every 5,000 here.

Brunswick isnt lagging behind in the skittle battle, though it only opened shop in August this year. Its Nehru Place liaison office hasnt been graced with a telephone yet, but that doesnt prevent it from planning to open eight bowling centres over the next six months.

With so many alleys to stalk, one wonders whether the friendly neighbourhood betting will metamorphose into full-blooded gambling. But the forthcoming battle between AMF and Brunswick can only be good for the game, even if some participants are lured by baser things than the joy of making a lucky strike.

Frankly, Im more interested in going to China than in the game, confesses one of the participating women at Leisure Bowl.

Im willing to bet that none of the gamblers here today are putting their money on her.