LAHORE - No matter what the result was, these were the bookmakers who won the match by pocketing big bucks as their share from the money spent on gambling across the Punjab in the second T20 semi-final between the favourite Australia and the defending champion Pakistan, The Nation learnt on Friday. In different parts of the province including the City, millions of rupees were spent on gambling. The bookies remained busy with their work, receiving or making calls throughout the match, giving fresh rates after every wicket fall, boundary, over and even after a single ball in some instances. Police on Friday morning started crackdown on the bookies and gamblers, but they outsmarted the police and kept their business running through phones, emails, and text messages. The police conducted raids but with hardly any success, as according to the insiders this was merely eyewash aimed at satisfying the high-ups and not arresting the real culprits, who were wasting money of the innocent people through their illegal business. Sources said that besides Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala as well as Multan remained on the top as regards the betting over the Twenty20 match between the two teams. They also revealed that most of the gamblers liked to bet on Australias victory while the titleholder Pakistani did not attract attention of the bookmakers. Most of the bookies remained successful in avoiding police raids as they had already changed their gambling dens. It was also learnt that the City Police had allegedly avoided the big professional bookies. The gamblers put their huge amounts on betting in posh areas like Defence, Gulberg, Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Model Town, Shadman, Johar Town and Faisal Town, the sources revealed. Petty and small amounts were also risked in the areas like Ravi Road, Shahdara, Mughalpura, Baghbanpura, Kot Khawaja Saeed, Shafiqabad, Nishtar Colony, Muslim Town, Ichhra, Shah Jamal and such other parts of City, they added. The sources alleged that records of the old and professional bookies dens were present with the City Police, but they allegedly stayed away from those areas where actually the betting was going at the peak. The police also avoided the hidden dens of famous and professional bookmaker Guddu Shah. The notorious bookie had started his betting business from Anarkali and then later shifted it to Johar Town. Another professional bookie namely Haji Ishaq also continued his business with impunity. No raid was made at his dens either, added the sources. The spokesman of City Police, however, maintained that police conducted raids and several gamblers were arrested in the City.