Regulations which worked offline are at times ineffective online. The online world offers access to a similar experience from the privacy of one’s home. Participants went to smoke-filled cafes or clubs. Until a few years ago, playing games for stakes was largely an offline affair.
A police officer investigating the suicide told Mint that Vineeth had run up a debt of over ₹20 lakh, including ₹6 lakh in pawned jewellery. On the night of 31 December 2020, he hung himself at a rubber plantation near Kuttichal, his hometown in Thiruvananthapuram district. He staked more and more, even borrowing money from friends. Vineeth tried out several gaming apps and got addicted in no time.
