Sledgehammer approach

Stringent regulation would have been a more prudent strategy than an outright ban on real money games

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No one doubts the government's argument that addiction to online gaming has brought widespread distress to many middle-class families and caused them serious financial, social, and psychological harm. But the question is whether a sledgehammer approach of criminalising and banning the entire industry was the best option left. In a different context, veteran banker Uday Kotak once said halting movement of traffic is an impractical solution to the problem of accidents on Indian roads. By proposing a blanket ban on online money gaming, the government has tried to do exactly the same. The intent seems inclined more towards prohibition than regulation, but prohibition doesn't help; it rather pushes people towards illegal avenues—in this case, illegal betting apps based on offshore platforms.