The menace of online gambling

Recently a video went viral on social media; a man from Srinagar lost around 80 Lakh Rupees in online gambling on some gambling site called Teen Pati. Earlier a man from Baramulla lost 42 lakh rupees through online gambling, forcing his parents to sell their house to repay the debt. Another individual from the town gambled away 32 lakhs and now suffers from severe depression. To quote the recent instance of a man from Srinagar, as per the reports and as per his own statement on social media, the person had invested his whole savings and had also borrowed money from friends and relatives.

Online gambling refers to any kind of gambling as well as gaming that is conducted on the internet. This includes the gambling platforms like virtual poker, casinos, and sports betting. Teen Patti is another popular Indian gambling card game that originated from the English game of three-card brag and is influenced by poker. It is also known as flush or flash in some areas.

In offline gambling the social restrictions and the stigma associated with it prevented the gamblers from expanding their networks and was restricted to few people. But the menace and plague of online gambling has turned out to be the silent killer in which our youth with the help of smartphones using internet are wasting their precious time and money leading to huge financial losses. This addiction among the youth leaves them playing such gambling whole night leading to many physical and psychological impacts on their well being.

Social influences, particularly through social media and peer interactions, normalize gambling behaviors, making them more appealing to adolescents. Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are closely linked to online gambling addiction, as individuals may use gambling

During these online gambling activities people usually chase their losses they had faced earlier and in this chase they are subjected to huge loss which they later regret leaving them in a state of depression, anxiety and severe psychological trauma. This menace is rapidly spreading among youth particularly among teenagers who wish to earn money easily.

One of the important reasons why people resort to gambling is that these people want short cuts in their lives and want to earn money without any hard work. We need to realise that by resorting to such gambling practices we are putting ourselves to a grave risk which not only drains our financial resources but also becomes a cause of anxiety, depression, disturbing mental health as well as distorted social relationships.

Another reason why youth fall prey to such gambling apps is that many celebrities and social media influencers promote these gambling platforms and easily attract the attention of young minds. In many instances a person who faces huge financial loss to this ill practice may even think of committing suicidal attempts.

Drug addiction which has engulfed the valley, has already destroyed the physical as well as mental health of thousands of our youth. Now another threatening menace, online gambling. In order to check this menace of online gambling our society needs an integrated approach involving different sections of the society.

The most decisive contribution can be from parents. Parents can play a vital role in their children's online gaming habits and keep a close watch on what and how long they play it. This social control can have very positive impact on the children. Parents can also set time limits to help break these bad habits. They can encourage their children to take regular breaks and help them come out of this addiction that is devouring our young minds. Parents can also play some physical games involving their children to help them find a range of activities to enjoy.

Let the parents sit and talk with the children and discuss with them about such gaming sites in order to help them identify and express their feelings. Parents can provide support and good parent-child relationships to help protect their children from unhealthy behaviours.

Some studies suggest that parental support is related to less gaming problems over time. Spending a quality time with the kids and involving them in offline activities can help in eradication of this ill practice of online gambling as well as gaming.

There is a dire need of organising counselling sessions in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions in which youth can be guided and counselled properly about the ill effects of such online gambling apps and platforms.