Students wager savings on World Cup

Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The 2002 soccer World Cup fever is also being experienced by students. Not only do they enjoy watching the matches on TV, but they also enjoy betting on their favorite teams.

Jurwa, not his real name, is a first grader at a high school in Tangerang, who said he had lost Rp 2.1 million (US$240) on bets in only two weeks.

"I lost all my savings because all my favorite teams lost," he groaned on Saturday, adding that he was forced to pay hundreds of thousands rupiahs to a bookie. He even sold his cellular phone to cover his expenses.

Jurwa's friend Steve, also not his real name, was slightly luckier as stopped betting the moment he lost Rp 800,000.

"I stopped betting when I ran out of my allowance money," he said.

Both students said it was fun to place bets, particularly due to the ease with which is to make the bets.

"We only have to pick up the phone and call the bookie at the latest 30 minutes before the match begins," Steve said.

Should they win or lose, they must meet face to face with the bookie, within 48 hours after the game, to pay up or get paid.

The students usually bet on a game at Rp 50,000. They can double or increase the bet.

The bookmaker makes a profit by requiring a five to 30 percent charge of the total bet.

Unlike Jurwa and Steve, Koko, not his real name, opted to organize the bets for his friends. He handed out forms on possible results to be filled in by students willing to bet.

"Each participant had to pay Rp 10,000 per sheet after filling in the form," he said, adding that he had 120 students in the pool.

The winner will get the Rp 1.2 million cash prize. As the pool organizer, Koko will get a 20 percent commission.

Koko did not consider his contest as bad thing as the number of bets was quite small per person so it would not make loser flat broke.

"We're not talking about big money here and the fun is still there," he said.

The three students admitted that they hid the activities from parents, fearing that the parents would stop giving them their allowance.