Nizamabad, India – When Harish began betting online, his family did not imagine that a smartphone would eventually consume their savings, land and, ultimately, their lives.
The 22-year-old from Yedapally village in the Nizamabad district of India’s southern Telangana state started betting online during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began with small wagers gradually turned into heavy losses and borrowing.
Police say Harish eventually spent about 1.8 million rupees (more than $21,000 in 2024) on betting and borrowed money from at least 12 people in his village.
His parents tried to rescue him from the growing debt. His father, Ranganaveni Suresh, 53, was a farmer who also ran a grocery shop. His mother, Hemalatha, 45, worked alongside…