The tote-betting racegoers at Bangalore are being presented with newer betting options in the forthcoming Summer Season by the Managing Committee of the Turf Club. It is an accepted fact that tote operations are the backbone of racing at this centre. The turnover is set to increase much beyond the Rs 1,000 Crore mark in the current financial year, which, in simple terms, would mean a deduction of Rs 100 Crore for the Government and the Club in the next 12 months. The racing public of Karnataka needs to be complimented for bringing in such large sums of money and keeping the sport alive.

It has been a long-pending demand of the punter that the Club brings in a new software and introduces betting on Accumulators and Kenchi's. The authorities had placed the order with a leading software development company in the country and it is learnt that the stage is set for a timely beginning. Trial runs have been successfully completed and the only hitch at the moment seems to be the training of the present machine operators. The delay in the start of the season has given them some extra time and that should come in handy for a smooth take-off.

The rules have been notified and are broadly listed below for the information of our readers.

1. These bets will be accepted on all on-course and inter-venue betting operations conducted at the BTC.
2. Accumulator bets (known as a Roll Bet in racing parlance) will be accepted for a minimum of two races and up to five races selected by the backer. Kenchi bets will be accepted for a minimum of three races and up to five races selected by the backer.
3. Under no circumstances will a bet once laid be allowed to be changed or substituted. Accumulator and Kenchi bets once accepted cannot be discontinued or cancelled at any stage.
4. Only one Accumulator or Kenchi bet shall be issued on a single ticket.
5. If any of the horse/s nominated in an Accumulator or Kenchi is/are withdrawn/declared non-starter, the bet on the withdrawn/non-starter will be carried forward to the next nominated horse and race number. In case it is a horse nominated in the last leg of the Accumulator or Kenchi, the said ticket shall be paid immediately.
6. The basic investment will continue to be Rs 10 and its multiples.
7. Payments on winning tickets shall be made up to half an hour after the last race of the day and are valid for eight days from the date of running of the race for which the ticket has been issued.

It will take some time for these innovations to catch the fancy of the average punter, but they are expected to become popular with the passage of time. It is common to see this mode of betting in the bucket shops in the United Kingdom. The only difference is that the terminology used in that country for a Kenchi is known as CDTQ (Cross Double Treble Quadruple). The concept remains the same.