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| Edited By: Prachi Kadam |Source: DNA |Updated: Mar 06, 2011, 11:03 AM IST
Not until recently did TV shows quite connect with men, children and teenagers in the family, as most of them were saas-bahu sagas. The advent of reality shows however broke the rule.
The success of shows like Bigg Boss, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Khatron ke Khiladi points to the fact that reality TV has managed to rouse public interest. And this has led to an unusual trend — betting. In America, betting on reality shows is a well-known phenomenon, and now it is also tempting fortune for gamblers in India.
A source from a reputed production house says, “It has been happening in India over a couple of years now. Earlier, it was fairly openly done during Rahul Mahajan’s stay in the Bigg Boss house, but after news spread, gamblers started operating discreetly. They judge which contestant to put their money on after tracking a few episodes and the kind of buzz that is created. But they only bet on shows that involve celebs. Frankly, from a channel’s point of view betting hasn’t yet made any difference to the shows.”
A bookie from Delhi, who regularly bets on reality shows, insists that the celeb fan following mainly instigates betting. “For us, they are like horses running in a derby match. Bigg Boss is a show people love gambling on and so are Jhalak and Fear Factor. The bets have gone up to Rs 100 crore at times. But many times it is risky to go with the image of a contestant created by the industry, as results differ in public voting.”
He further adds, “The betting is done at various levels — from college students gaming with Rs 50 with friends, to big players who are ready to put crores on a particular contender who has high chances of winning. And this involves a lot of money.”
Betting on reality shows is expected to increase just like in cricket. And though cricket will always remain top priority for bookies, they don’t mind gambling on shows because they hardly clash with cricket seasons. While the debate that reality shows could be rigged rages on, the big question remains unresolved — are votes influenced by betting?
