Matka gambling or satta is a form of betting and lottery[clarification needed] which originally involved[clarification needed] betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton transmitted from the New York Cotton Exchange to the Bombay Cotton Exchange. It originates from before the Partition of India when it was known as Ankada Jugar ("figures gambling"). 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.
Matka gambling is illegal in India.[1]