Throughout the pages of history, gambling has been a leisure activity with a tinge of sin associated with it. It was something for the royalty to squander their riches over. Then came the democratic wave and globally everybody had those crazy nights at Vegas, where cards were dealt, and large amounts of money were wagered. But speaking from an Indian viewpoint, gambling had taken up the role of a dual personality.

The Indian gambles

The murky and cold corners saw more poker and rummy games than any casino in Vegas. Even social gatherings started becoming indispensable without some gambling.

It was also dependent upon who was playing. An individual who was from the higher strata of society would normally play for a proper wager or go to a social club to satisfy his cravings for some gambling. Close friends would also occasionally play some card games that involve money as a part of a social gathering. But then came online gambling.

It was a game-changer that nullified this gap between the different groups of society. The applications worked on internet banking and every individual with a phone and a bank account could start gambling online. Many advertisements started appearing regarding card games like teen patti, rummy, poker, blackjack, etc started appearing on different websites. It developed into different testimonial ads where people explained how easy it was to win money online.

The Indian government and gambling

India fails to adopt a strict policy. Gambling is very much welcomed in Indian society, but there are no official casinos or designated places for gambling. The difference between betting and gambling is wafer-thin, but still, the government adopts strict policies against betting considering the wavelengths of illegal activities that can occur behind this cover. Gambling on the other hand is not actively promoted, yet it is not a criminal offense as there are no laws banning these online casinos from functioning. This vagueness surrounding the laws has helped the online casino culture exponentially grow. Recently many state governments like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Kerala have actively banned betting and gambling games involving poker and rummy as gambling not only causes financial losses but also mentally affects the users.

A mental perspective

Gambling is immoral because of the destructive nature it brings along with it. The habit of gambling regularly can cause many mental problems to an individual as it is very addictive. The thought of spending some money to capture a bigger reward is very competitive and compelling at the same time. Yet there have been attempts to legalize as well as ban these online casinos in Parliament. Legalizing is not a bad idea as there will be a levy of 20 to 30 percent which can help to fund the government as well as make the rules and regulations regarding online gambling more binding, leading to transparency in the system. This can also help law enforcement to distinguish between illegal betting and online gambling and betting. Implementation of new laws that bind the state and central governments for betting and gambling activities has become a need of the hour. This activity, if not monitored strictly, is harmful to individuals as well as the society that surrounds them. It can lead to conflicts as well as crime since it has been portrayed as a sin in contemporary Indian society.