When the game plays you

Sports gambling, an addiction that often goes unnoticed and unaddressed, is on the rise in India

- ANUSHKA BHARDWAJ

"My entire generational wealth was wiped out," says Shreya (name changed on request) woefully, revealing she lost nearly 8 crore to cricket betting between 2022 and 2024.

What began as a love for the sport while studying in the UK quickly spiralled into a full-blown gambling addiction that consumed her finances, strained relationships, and shattered her mental health.

"I stopped seeing it as a sport. It became about money, loans, and constant access to betting platforms," she recalls.

Now in her late 20s—after enduring family rifts, mounting debts, spending a year in a Mumbai rehabilitation centre, and abstaining from betting apps—Shreya was finally able to watch a cricket match live, Gujarat Titans versus Mumbai Indians at the Indian Premier League (IPL) on March 31 this year, as a true, unapologetic fan rather than a gambler.

A silent crisis Shreya overcame her addiction, but not many are as fortunate.

covert overseas apps that smartly evade the goods and services tax (GST) applicable on real-time money gaming apps.