Fantasy sports apps are driving a surge in gambling addiction in India

March 18, 2022 India iGaming & Gambling

All forms of gambling are illegal in India but there are no clear laws when it comes to fantasy gaming, which is quickly becoming a threat.

When Ravi learned about the online fantasy sports app Dream11 from his friends in 2018, he saw it as an opportunity to make a quick buck. As a cricket fan from a young age, Ravi, who requested anonymity, as his job does not authorize him to talk to the media, thought spending on fantasy cricket games could be lucrative — by investing just 50 rupees (around 65 cents), he had a chance to win 10 million rupees (over $130,000). For a low-ranking member of the Indian security forces, this was too good to pass up.

The 33-year-old started off by betting a couple of hundred rupees each day on cricket games; within a few months, he was making bets on football and basketball, sports he knew very little about. “If I wasn’t making teams, I would start feeling anxious,” said Ravi. “When I would suffer losses, I would think I had to recover it, and I would put in more money.”

At his worst, Ravi said, he would spend between 100,000 and 150,000 rupees per day. Within two years, he lost his entire savings, maxed out his credit card limit of 800,000 rupees, and had taken a bank loan to support his addiction. He incurred a total loss of 3,500,000 rupees, around six times his annual income.