What is Satta Matka and is it illegal in India?

SATTA Matka is a game which originated in India in the 1950s.

Here we take a look at the history of Satta Matka and the laws surrounding the activity.

What is Satta Matka?

Satta Matka is a type of lottery that has been played in India since the early 1950s.

It originates from before the Partition of India when it was known as Ankada Jugar.

Originally, the game Satta Matka involved betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton as transmitted to the Bombay Cotton Exchange from the New York Cotton Exchange, via teleprinters.

In 1961 the New York Cotton Exchange stopped the practice, forcing it to evolve into what it is today.

Is Satta Matka illegal in India?

Gambling has been banned in India ever since the British government introduced the Public Gambling Act in 1867.

According to Section 12 of the Act, any activity of pure skill is exempt from these sanctions.

As Satta Matka and betting are generally considered games of chance or luck, they are prohibited in India.

Who can play Satta Matka?

Gambling activity of any kind is illegal in India.

Therefore, nobody is allowed by law to play Satta Matka.

How do you play Matka?

To play Matka, a player chooses three numbers between 0 and nine.

The three chosen numbers are then added together and the second digit of this resulting number is noted down alongside the original three chosen numbers.

This leaves the gambler with four numbers, from which point they may bet on the various likelihoods of the numbers or number sequences appearing or being chosen from the pot.

In the 1960s, the system was replaced with other ways of generating random numbers, including pulling slips from a large earthenware pot known as a Matka, or dealing with playing cards.

What is Matka called in English?

The word matka translates as earthen pot or pitcher in Hindi.

Such pots were used in the past to draw the numbers.

Although the way in which the numbers are drawn has changed over the years, the term Matka has survived.