“Digital Addiction, Financial Ruin: How Online Money Games Are Destroying Youth in Jammu & Kashmir”
Srinagar | July 15, 2025
By ANN News
In the quest to become overnight millionaires, hundreds of young people across Jammu and Kashmir are falling into the dangerous trap of online gambling platforms like Aviator and other digital betting games. What starts as harmless fun quickly becomes a destructive addiction, leaving behind broken families, empty bank accounts, and shattered futures.
Online games that promise quick money have become a silent epidemic. The Aviator game, for example, has flooded social media feeds and app stores with enticing ads: “Double your money in seconds!” But behind the flashy graphics lies a deeply manipulative system designed to extract every last rupee from vulnerable players.
“It becomes a psychological trap,” says Dr. Shakeel Mir, a psychiatrist based in Anantnag. “Young people start with ₹500 thinking they’ll stop. But the thrill of near wins keeps them hooked. Before they know it, they’ve lost thousands.”
Rashid Ahmad, a 24-year-old student from Baramulla, lost ₹1.8 lakh in just two weeks. “I took money from my parents, even sold my mobile. I thought I would win it back the next day. But it just kept slipping away,” he says tearfully.
In Pulwama, a 19-year-old attempted suicide after losing his entire college savings. His father blames “these so-called online games which are nothing but legalized scams.”
Apps like Aviator simulate “flight” — players place bets before the plane “flies away.” The longer the flight, the more the multiplier. But the crash is always unpredictable, and the house always wins in the end.
These platforms target the 18–30 age group, exploiting their dreams of fast success, and operating in a grey zone of legality. While the government has banned some gambling apps, newer versions keep popping up under different names.
Experts, parents, and civil society organizations are now urging the J&K administration to take strict action against these platforms. “We need digital detox awareness campaigns, legal frameworks to ban such apps, and counseling programs for addicts,” said Advocate Zubair Khan, a youth rights activist.
Islamic scholars have also termed such activities as haram (forbidden). “Money earned or lost through gambling is not only sinful but also socially destructive,” said Mufti Tariq Qasmi.
Online money games are not just games — they are digital traps that feed on dreams and leave behind debt, depression, and despair. The youth of Jammu & Kashmir need opportunities, not illusions. It’s time to wake up before another life is ruined.
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