On-line Gaming and Gambling

Nowadays, we come across a lot of advertisements for online gaming / gambling in newspapers and on TV and even through messages in mobile.

In 1959, A Hindi film called “Satta Bazar” starring Balraj Sahni and Meena Kumari was released in 1959. The movie was based on the evil of betting by showing families getting destroyed due to the addiction of gambling. 

In old days, Sarrafa Bazar in Indore used to be the epicentre of betting in Indore. Will the rain water drip from a particular shop during the next rains or not? There used to be a bet on such useless issues. But the speculators kept gazing at the sky.

Everyone knows Ratan Khatri, who was the founder and king of Satta Matka that lasted for decades under his control.

Time has changed and so has the form of betting. Now it’s called online gaming. Now everyone has mobile, through which money can be easily transferred online. 

In the advertisements of these games, big players and even actors encourage us to play. There is a flood of such messages daily in our mobile phones.

In the beginning, a small amount is also given free as an incentive to start playing. Their software is designed in such a way that in the beginning the player is benefited, in order to lure the beginners, to ensnare them in their net.

As the game progresses gradually, the amount keeps increasing, and then the real game starts, of losing. In order to compensate the losses, people continue playing and taking losses after losses.

Many children, I know, who have no income of their own, have lost thousands of rupees in this online gaming.

It is such an addiction, that is not only affecting children and youngsters, but also destroying families. The cases of committing crimes and suicides have also been reported.

It is possible that someone has also made a profit, but the majority of players have suffered losses. It has been banned in some states, but it’s upto us to see and assess what’s in our own interest.

Hedging is okay to some extent, as it’s done to avoid risk, but sheer speculation means gambling that involves high risk. But there is always a very thin line between speculation and hedging.

–Kaushal Kishore

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