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In the past week, suicides of a bank employee, a small business owner and a lathe operator in Tamil Nadu had one thing in common — mounting debt caused by an addiction to online gambling. In July, it was a 20-year-old part-time tattoo parlour staffer who hanged himself after losing ₹20,000 on a gaming app.

Although exact data is not available on the number of deaths resulting from gambling debt — the Madras high court observed that it was 30. The increasing trend has prompted the TN government to promulgate an ordinance on November 20 to ban online gaming sites where bets are wagered. This week, The Online Rummy Federation (TORF) mandated all its members block players from within the state. But cyber crime experts feel the move from the government is like a house of cards.

“A move like this depends wholly on execution,” says cyber law specialist Debarati Halder of the Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling. “When the lottery was banned in Tamil Nadu, people just drove across the border to buy and play,” says Kala Baskar, assistant professor, Centre for Cyber Forensics and Information Security, University of Madras. “While the online ban will block players from the state, those who are addicted will find a way to circumvent it.”

Sameer Barde, CEO of TORF, which is fighting the TN ordinance, says regulation is a better alternative as a ban will result in legitimate operators leaving the market while giving illegal operators a free run. “The TN gaming law pre the ordinance made a clear exemption for games of skill. The Supreme Court has stated that wagering on games of skill is not gambling and that they are business activities protected under the Constitution.”

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TORF data shows there are between 25-30 operators in India, with the top seven accounting for 90% of the market share. Revenue-wise, online rummy saw an uptick during the lockdown months. In April to June, gaming was reported throughout the day, peaking between 8pm and midnight.

Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar of Chennai-based suicide prevention helpline Sneha says while globally during the initial phase of the lockdown, there was a reduction in deaths by suicides, India saw an increase. “Online gambling was among the reasons, as were job losses, loneliness, fear of Covid-19, and substance abuse. Because of financial losses suffered in the lockdown, adults would turn to gambling ‘endorsed’ by celebrities as a quick way to make money. But the debts would just mount,” she says.

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A 2017 study by Dr Sanju George, published in the Journal of Gambling Studies, found that problem gamblers were more likely to be male, have academic failures, higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use, psychological distress, suicidality, history of sexual abuse and higher attention deficit hyperactive disorder symptom scores.

Dr George says gambling adversely affects less than 1% of the population. “But with potentially addictive behaviours such as drug use, there is a strong relationship between consumption and subsequent problems, which means the more the people who indulge in a behaviour, the greater the likelihood that more of them will develop problems,” says the psychiatrist. “Gambling-related problems adversely impact the most vulnerable — the young, elderly, ethnic minorities, and the socially and/or economically disadvantaged. It is also likely that, if gambling were to be legalised in India, the rates of problem gambling might be even higher than elsewhere,” he says. His study among 15-19-year-olds in the country shows around 30% of the 5,000 surveyed admitted to having tried gambling. It was also found that one in four students who ever gambled was a problem gambler.

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, in his research found 80% of video gamers reported gambling and 70% of gamblers reported playing video games the previous year. “We had a case re a 23-year-old college student with online poker addiction. He would lie, steal money, had an unstructured routine, and would often get angry. He reported constant desire for playing poker and found it difficult to end online poker sessions (loss of control). At the time he was brought in contact with a mental health professional, he was planning a career as a professional poker player.”

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At the core, gambling is a behavioural addiction, says Dr Shiva Prakash from SCARF. “The first signs are in the areas of function, giving up on pleasurable activities and eating into the daily routine, anxiety, impulse control issues, anger. Like with all behavioural issues, the sooner it is recognised the easier it is to treat,” he says.

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“Gambling needs a health warning. The industry calls it a game of skill. Mental health experts believe it is more chance. Regulation or a complete ban will depend on whose definition stays,” says Dr George.