Youths getting addicted to gambling

Swarnomoyee Mostafa Oishy:

It is not casino, but also gambling through online. With the expansion of technology, gambling has become more accessible through online compared to the access in people’s daily necessities. Now, someone no needs to go to a fancy casino for gambling. Online based casinos are now going on rampantly on the tip of nose of the authorities concerned. Not just casinos, these online based gambling sites have added sports betting, where anyone can bet on any sport. The players on the field play for themselves and for their country, but the game of crores of Taka is going on behind it. As a result, the worst cases like match fixing are occurring most of the times.

Although, the law enforcement agencies can control the gambling dens and casinos within the country, it is very difficult for them to control those due to the fact that these online casinos are based abroad. However, the law enforcers are trying to their best. But these online gambling sites have spread so terribly among the youths that complete control is no longer possible. Among these, the notable sites are: 1xbet, mostbet.com, MELbet and bet365. All these are controlled from abroad. Thousands of crores of Taka are being smuggled abroad through these sites every day. The main target of these sites is the country’s youths and uneducated people, sources said.

To save the youths of the country from the horrors of this, the government decided to ban these sites from the country and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) banned more than 4500 sites including betting and pornography sites from Bangladesh on February 18 in 2019. But what has come to control? Rather, the users of these sites have been increased in a short span of time.

The day after BTRC shut down these sites, these sites came back with thousands of mirror sites. As a result, these online gambling sites go out of touch. These sites are easy to access by the youth for depositing and withdrawing money. Data shows that, most of the users of these sites are less-educated or illiterate. Many do not have the slightest knowledge about sports. Accounts are opened on these sites only for the purpose of lucrative promotions and money. But most of them are becoming destitute after using these sites.

It is easy to deposit money by giving cash or card through mobile financial organization bKash and Rocket. As a result, many people deposit money in their accounts out of curiosity. The game starts from here.

According to the rules of these sites, after depositing money, anyone can play 12 times. Otherwise money cannot be withdrawn. The problem occurs, while playing frequent 12 times. Those, who win play more and more and eventually become addicted.

On the other hand, losers lend their legs in the trap again hoping to recoup their losses. So, whether one wins or loses, the end result is to become addicted to these. Not only foreign, but also many betting sites that have developed in the country in less than time. There are always facebook groups for managing these sites and communicating with agents easily. In most cases, main aim is fraud. Now, the question may come even after the ban in the country, how they continue to work so freely using the country’s financial resources? According to research, these sites have already built their own network of agents who see those as businesses.

Experts seem, concerned law enforcers should take stern stance right now to protect the country’s youths and large amount of money.