ONLINE GAMBLING MENACE IN KASHMIR

It is certain that drug addiction is one of the most serious social issues Kashmir is confronting today.

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It is in your face, destructive, and more recognized by society and the government today. But there is another plague that is on the rise, much less observable but just as damaging: internet gambling. Quietly sweeping through Kashmir, this new scourge is destroying families, sending people into debt, and eroding the Valley's social fabric. As drugs generate headlines, online gambling destroys lives in secret. It is high time we spoke about it and more importantly, acted upon it.

Online gambling is no longer confined to a select group of technology-savvy youth playing poker on dodgy apps. It has now become a common phenomenon, spreading even to towns and villages. Men especially those in their 20s and 30s are becoming addicted to a poisonous combination of cricket gambling, fantasy games, and casino-like gambling apps. These applications usually masquerade as innocent entertainment or skill games, but they're programmed to target psychological weaknesses, having users hooked and pursuing lost money.

Kashmir's special sociopolitical problems, rampant joblessness, and chronic instability have created an openness that addiction of all types quickly fills. But what is so particularly odious about online gambling is the way it cannot be seen. Unlike with drug addiction, no syringes, no stench, no visible signs. An ordinary guy sitting quietly in his bedroom on a cell phone may be ruining his family's financial savings and nobody would ever know until it is too late.