Problem gambling in India is a ‘major’ public health issue but there are only two institutions to address this clinically.
When a 36-year-old father of two in Chennai murdered his family before killing himself, it was revealed he had borrowed huge sums of money from friends to feed his online gambling addiction.
At that time, a psychiatrist told the media a telephone helpline set up by an NGO received “more calls about gambling debt” than any other forms of health afflictions. She reported she treated “more” patients addicted to gambling that year than in previous years.
Online gambling is booming. It is projected to reach $US100.90 billion in 2024. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American…