On the surface, it begins with a phone game — just a few clicks on an app promising quick winnings. But online gambling in Karnataka today sits at the crossroads of law, livelihood, and loss. On one side are stories of ordinary families falling into debt traps so deep that lives are lost to shame and desperation. On another is the state govt, caught between public pressure to regulate and court battles over the limits of prohibition.Police records show 32 suicides linked to online gambling losses since 2023, nearly two-thirds of them in Bengaluru. Officers admit the number is likely far higher, hidden in missing-person cases and unreported deaths. Victims come from every walk of life: drivers, small businessmen, students, even…

