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Online gambling is sweeping across Kashmir, leaving behind a trail of financial ruin and emotional turmoil. For many families, what starts as a hopeful bid for quick wealth turns into a devastating spiral of debt and despair
By Adil Sofi
Mohsin, a 25-year-old student from Baramulla, was initially enticed by the thrill of gambling on online platforms like BC Game. Winning ₹7 lakh in just four days convinced him that he had cracked the system. But the nature of gambling where luck eventually runs out caught up with him. His winnings turned into losses, pushing him into desperate measures.
His struggle escalated when, blinded by hope, he pawned his sisters’ gold earrings, thinking he would win enough to buy them necklaces. But the gambling platforms proved relentless, and instead of wealth, he found himself drowning in financial distress and emotional turmoil.
“I couldn’t tell anyone,” Mohsin says, his voice carrying the weight of regret. “I thought I would win and make it alright. But I lost everything.”
From Dreams to Debt
Online gambling is sweeping across Kashmir, leaving behind a trail of financial ruin and emotional turmoil. For many families, what starts as a hopeful bid for quick wealth turns into a devastating spiral of debt and despair.
Young people, drawn in by the promise of easy money, often find themselves trapped, losing not just their savings, but also their peace of mind. Behind every statistic lies a story of broken dreams, strained relationships, and silent struggles.
Wasim Kakroo, a Srinagar-based clinical psychologist, categorizes online gambling under impulse control disorder. “In impulsive behavior, a person has no control and does not think about the consequences of their actions,” he explains.
He adds that in online gambling, “No matter how much a person loses, they still cannot control their impulses. Their mind keeps telling them that they will win the next time, and to reduce the guilt of their previous losses, they keep playing and losing even more. This way lakhs of rupees get wasted.”
Kakroo’s words resonate with Mohsin’s story who initially won ₹7 lakh but gradually began losing everything.
“When I won such a big amount, I wanted to try more. Initially, I had set a target of ₹2 lakh, thinking I would stop after that. But I didn’t even realize when ₹2 lakh turned into ₹7 lakh. And after winning ₹7 lakh, I lost everything. I had no control over myself. I ended up exhausting all my savings,” he says.
“Falling into debt is not the only impact of online gambling,” says Waseem Kakroo. He adds, “A person also becomes socially disconnected with their mobile phone. They neither spend time with friends nor with family. This ruins all relationships, especially family relationships. When a person loses everything and puts their family at stake, the rest of the family is not empathetic — they also get angry. As a result, the person’s depression and anxiety starts increasing.”
Another name in gambling game
Like Mohsin, a 30-year-old banker from Pattan Baramulla, Ahmed – (name changed), lost Rs 25 lakh in an online gambling game called BC Game.
Ahmed had everything — a stable job, a loving family, and a comfortable life. But his gambling addiction slowly unraveled it all.
What started as an occasional thrill turned into an uncontrollable need. And before he knew it, he had lost millions.
At first, he convinced himself it wasn’t a problem. “I thought I could win it back. Just one more bet, just one lucky break,” he recalls.
That break never came. The losses piled up, and so did his lies. He grew distant, barely engaging with his family. His once-promising career faded into the background.
His father, heartbroken but determined to save his son, sold a piece of their ancestral land to pay off Ahmed’s debts. For a while, it felt like a reset.
“I promised myself, my family — I wouldn’t go back to it. I wanted to believe it, I really did,” Ahmed says.
However, addiction is relentless. The pull of the game was stronger than his guilt. Before long, he was back at it, gambling away whatever he could get his hands on.
Then the debts returned, bigger than before. This time, there was no one left to bail him out. So, Ahmed did the only thing he could—he ran. He left home, vanishing without a trace.
His family, torn between love and shame, kept their pain hidden from the world, fearing judgment.
Regret continues to haunt
Meanwhile, Ahmed drifted through unfamiliar cities, each one a temporary escape. “I don’t know what I was looking for. A second chance? A place where no one knew me? Or, maybe, I was just running from myself.” No matter how far he went, the regret never left him.
This is why Kakroo emphasises on addressing online gambling as a mental health issue and focusing on curing it. “It falls under the preventive aspect of mental health,” he points out and adds, “The responsibility lies with parents, teachers, religious clerics, and society as a whole to understand and acknowledge mental health.”
Transformation is possible, he says. This rings true with Kashif’s story.
Kashif (name changed), a 27-year-old shopkeeper from Srinagar, was introduced to an online Teen Patti app by his friends. At first, he played for fun, betting small amounts. Soon, the thrill of winning and the desperation to recover losses pulled him deeper into the game.
“I kept thinking that one more game, one more hand, and I’d win it all back,” Kashif recalls. But, luck was never on his side. The losses piled up, and in just a few months, he had lost ₹2 lakh — money he had borrowed from friends and taken as advance from his business earnings.
At his lowest point, Kashif considered drastic steps, but a visit to a local mosque changed his course.
Mental scars of addiction
In the quiet solitude of prayers, he found a sense of peace that gambling never gave him. Slowly, he started dedicating more time to religious duties, using them to heal from the mental scars of addiction.
“Faith gave me the strength to accept my mistakes and move forward,” Kashif says. “I still struggle, but at least now, I have hope.”
During a Friday sermon at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed deep concern over the rise of online gambling among youth, calling it another serious challenge alongside drug addiction.
He warned that many young individuals, drawn by the lure of quick money, have fallen into the trap of gambling apps, leading to devastating consequences for their families.
“Hundreds of young people, driven by the lure of making quick money, have fallen victim to these gambling apps, forcing many families to sell their homes and assets to cover the massive debts incurred by their addicted members, mostly young men,” he stated.
Severity of online gambling
In a recent statement, Abdul Qayoom Wani, Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum (JKCSF), emphasized the severity of online gambling’s impact on society, stating, “Online gambling is not just an individual problem; it is a societal crisis that demands urgent action.”
He urged the government to ban these platforms to protect the youth from this destructive path. Wani also highlighted the need for governmental reforms to support young entrepreneurs, asserting, “By enabling young entrepreneurs, we can redirect their energies toward productive and sustainable ventures, paving the way for a better future.”
Advocate Asif Wani, High Court of J&K, Srinagar, told Kashmir Times that the legal framework governing online gambling in Jammu and Kashmir falls in a legally grey area.
“There is no specific law addressing online gambling or gaming. The Public Gambling Act of 1867, extended to J&K through the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, does not adequately cover the current scenario. As a result, online gambling falls into a legally grey area,” he explained.
Absence of specific law
He added that in the absence of dedicated legislation, authorities have limited scope for action unless relevant amendments are made to the laws like Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), or the Information Technology Act, or if the Union Territory government introduces new legislations.
Altaf Thakur, the spokesman for BJP in Kashmir, has called for a complete ban on online gambling, urging the government to prohibit all related apps and portals.
“The government should ban online gambling entirely. These portals and apps must be shut down, as they lure common people into futile pursuits in the hope of quick wealth,” Thakur told Kashmir Times.
Despite multiple attempts to contact Cyber Police, Kashmir, they were unavailable for a comment. This story will be updated as soon as they respond.
(With inputs from Nida Sadiq)
Report Courtesy Kashmir Times. https://kashmirtimes.com/news/they-waged-all-their-chips-in-digital-space