Srinagar, Aug 7: It begins with a tap. A flashing screen, a rising aircraft, a cashout button. In seconds, the game ends \u2014 either with a small win or a crushing loss. But for thousands across Kashmir, especially the young, this isn\u2019t just a game anymore. It\u2019s become an obsession \u2014 one that is quietly hollowing out families, draining life savings, and leaving behind broken homes.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s driving this alarming trend isn\u2019t just addiction \u2014 it\u2019s unemployment.<\/p>\n
Kashmir\u2019s job crisis has been worsening for years. With limited private sector growth and scarce government vacancies, thousands of educated young people remain idle, frustrated, and hopeless. In this economic vacuum, online gambling apps have found fertile ground, promising instant wealth with little effort, and delivering, more often than not, devastating losses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a harsh reality that our youth are getting addicted to these online gambling games,\u201d says Javid Tenga, President. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). \u201cThis is a menace. After drugs, this is now the next epidemic \u2014 and no one seems to be taking it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n
These apps don\u2019t look threatening. Most appear harmless \u2014 some even marketed as casual games. Yet beneath the surface lies a trap. Games like the infamous \u201caircraft game\u201d \u2014 where users bet on how long a virtual plane stays in the air \u2014 have become especially popular. The rules are simple, the outcome is always uncertain, and the probability of consistent wins is almost nonexistent.<\/p>\n
Across the Valley, there are quiet murmurs \u2014 stories of young boys selling their bikes, students borrowing from classmates, shopkeepers losing track of accounts, and families forced to sell property to cover debts. What started as curiosity has turned into a financial and emotional freefall.<\/p>\n
In one particularly grim case, a young man lost Rs 17 lakh to a betting app in just a few weeks, driving his family to sell their house. His story, like so many others, is whispered from one locality to the next \u2014 rarely spoken of publicly, but deeply etched in family trauma.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Shafi, a shopkeeper in Nishat, still struggles to believe what happened in his own family. \u201cMy nephew was a normal, quiet boy. One day he was helping at the shop. The next, he was borrowing money from strangers \u2014 all for a game,\u201d he says. \u201cWe didn\u2019t even know he was gambling until he had lost Rs 4 lakh.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s part of what makes this crisis so dangerous: it hides in plain sight. Unlike drug abuse or physical violence, online gambling is invisible. It happens behind locked screens. Victims rarely talk \u2014 until it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n
In several cases, children have used their parents\u2019 phones and bank apps to place bets, draining accounts before anyone even noticed. Others have spent emergency savings meant for education or health on late-night gambling sprees, hoping \u2014 praying \u2014 for one big win to fix everything.<\/p>\n
Despite growing public concern, these gambling platforms remain widely available. They are openly advertised on social media, promoted by influencers who glamorise quick wins, and easily accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Most of them operate on servers located outside India, placing them beyond the scope of domestic regulation.<\/p>\n
The government, so far, has remained largely silent. No advisory. No awareness campaign. No crackdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a digital epidemic,\u201d said a local psychologist who treats young gambling addicts. \u201cThey aren\u2019t just losing money. They\u2019re losing trust, peace, and their sense of control.\u201d<\/p>\n
With silence from the administration, religious leaders are stepping in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a societal epidemic,\u201d warned Mufti Zubair Ahmad. \u201cOnline betting destroys households, corrupts young minds, and erodes our values. Every responsible citizen and authority must act before it consumes more lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam has also spoken out, urging a total ban on such platforms and tighter regulation of their promotion. \u201cWe cannot let technology become a tool for moral and economic collapse,\u201d he said recently in a sermon.<\/p>\n
Mosques across the Valley are now using Friday sermons to raise awareness. Clerics are urging families to monitor children\u2019s phones, talk openly about the dangers, and seek help early if they notice changes in behaviour.<\/p>\n
Unlike metro cities, Kashmir lacks robust economic alternatives for its youth. The private sector remains stunted, entrepreneurship is often unsupported, and even well-educated graduates struggle to find meaningful employment.<\/p>\n
Most private jobs that do exist offer poor pay, barely enough to meet basic expenses, let alone support a family. In such a bleak environment, the lure of gambling apps is not just temptation \u2014 it\u2019s desperation.<\/p>\n
According to economic experts, the absence of structured recreational spaces, social engagement, and employment programs is deepening this addiction crisis. \u201cYou have young men sitting idle for months, sometimes years,\u201d said a university researcher studying digital addictions. \u201cThey want to contribute, to earn, to feel useful. These apps offer that illusion \u2014 and then crush it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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