The internet has brought the entire world to our fingertips, the vice of gambling on ufa too! Online gambling started in the mid-1990s and has become quite the rage in the past few years. The internet gambling market is about USD 59 billionand is expected to double by the next year! This is despite the fact that gambling is illegal in several countries. It is also gaining traction in India in the recent past.
How does it work?
While running a physical casino takes up a lot of resources such as area, buildings, maintenance along with several government licences, virtual casinos are so much easier. There are online versions of several traditional casino games like poker, rummy, roulettes, etc on these websites. Betting on sports also comes under their purview.
These websites are usually owned by small, less-known companies working from small countries. They are also known to shy away from paying taxes to their home countries. The anonymity that the internet offers, along with the drastically less maintenance costs make these websites an extremely profitable venture. Users have a variety of payment options including cryptocurrency to indulge in these games.
Online Gambling in India
As of now, there is no sufficient regulatory framework to govern the legality of online gambling. However, all games of chance except lotteries and games of skill are allowed in India. What the term ‘games of skill’ means is open to interpretation. Gambling and betting on the internet in India are largely legal in India, although it is subject to several restrictions by the various states. There are some states of India like Karnataka which have placed a complete ban on such sites owing to public policy.
Is it bad?
It is not for nothing that gambling has been regarded as a vice from times immemorial. The cons of online gambling weigh more than its pros. Gambling both in the traditional casinos and its recent online counterpart is often used as a safe haven for money laundering. Several people are susceptible to getting addicted to gambling, which in turn affects their own lives, and the society. This addiction also leads to both violent and non-violent crimes. It can also mental and psychological disorders like depression and anxiety. Online gambling in particular also opens up to hacking which is another menace in the internet society.
Hence, online gambling must be indulged and regulated in caution.