By: Salil Gewali

Nothing is more heartening than the fact that the Government of India has now fully banned all real-money online games, including fantasy sports, card games, online lotteries, and betting platforms through the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Sadly, it took so long for the government to wake up to the adverse consequences of gambling. It seems the government acted only after sensing that even the children of some political leaders had slipped into this digital gambling trap. Anyway, countless parents and spouses of gaming addicts must have heaved a sigh of relief at last!

Well, over the past couple of years, I was literally shocked by how the government permitted the ceaseless bombardment of advertisements for such dangerous games on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and others. At times, I even felt the temptation to place a bet. After all, who does not want to make quick money? But at the end of the day, the players always lose everything they have, while the companies sit back and mint cash --- all at the cost of social devastation. If I am not mistaken, lakhs of households have been ruined by these online games in the last few years. The addiction to such platforms is nothing short of a digital drug.

Apart from the obvious financial loss, the “psychological impact” of game addiction is far more detrimental. Such obsession invariably blots out one’s ability to engage in healthy creativity, innovation, and imagination, often leading to gradual memory loss. It kills ambition, steals inner peace, and leaves one staring blankly at a glowing screen. What is disgusting is that so-called celebrities, driven by greed, had shamelessly promoted these games and corrupted the minds of our younger generation. They sold out their souls for just a few quick bucks. Would they want their own children to fall into the pit of gambling addiction? These morally bankrupt celebrities have, in fact, done a great disservice to society, ruining the lives of countless youngsters.           

Of course, obsession with "anything" always spells disaster. This current ban is just a legal move, a small step forward to save society from moral, social, and psychological decay. Given how netizens run riot in the digital world without moral discipline, there are “many more things” that need to be banned. The government must remain extra vigilant. Well, nature unfolds a "fresh dawn" for us to strive to become morally stronger. It is not meant to be wasted on betting on poker and jokers, only to grow weaker — both morally and intellectually.

About Writer: A writer and researcher based in Shillong (India) Salil Gewali is best known for his research-based work, ‘Great Minds on India’, which has earned worldwide appreciation. His book has been translated into fifteen languages and edited by a former NASA scientist, Dr. AV Murali of Houston, USA. Gewali is also a member of the International Human Rights Commission Zürich, Switzerland.