After a long gap, the issue of lottery-related bankruptcy is back in the news. Having fallen into a debt trap after losing lakhs of rupees to his addiction to online lottery, a goldsmith in Tamil Nadu murdered his wife and three children before taking his own life.
While media coverage of the incident threw light on how illegal sale of lottery thrives in the state, factors that push scores of working class people to this dangerous addiction were only partly explored. An analysis of the reportage on the incident reveals the following trends. One, lottery sale thrives among groups experiencing economic uncertainty, rather than among people who can afford to take losses. In his video testimonial recorded just before his death, Arun had warned that there were several other goldsmiths caught in debt traps due to lottery.
The local goldsmiths association says the trend started increasing only after mechanisation of the ornament-making business reduced their work orders. Experts say lottery addiction among the poor is high because they hope it would be a quick-fix for poverty. Several of them get addicted to betting on the lucky draw. The process is akin to betting on race horses, a ‘sport’ that was more popular among the elite till it was banned for some time in the state back in the seventies. Addressing the problem, which appears more widespread than thought, would require fixing the employment scenario in TN.
Two, internet governance must be strengthened to restrict online gambling, a $50 billion industry which, apart from lottery, includes betting on cricket teams and even election outcomes. Till date, India has not been successful in formulating and implementing a comprehensive policy on online gambling. Three, being a state that proactively banned activities which push the poor into debt traps, TN must take the lead in sensitising its neighbours, especially Kerala, in banning the lottery system. Only concerted efforts by all neighbouring states can end the social and institutional support for the menace, and prevent yet another tragedy of this nature.