Online gambling new threat to young generation
Syed Shemul Parvez :
Online gambling is a new threat in the country amid the current economic recession. A significant portion of youth is getting addicted to various gambling sites out of curiosity.
It is normally seen on the spot that youths are playing this game in the public places without any hindrance of law enforcement agencies.
Sources said, starting with an investment of 5-10 thousand Taka, they are falling into greed and losing lakhs of taka at one stage. Most of these gambling sites are operated from abroad.
Bangladeshi agents are managing these sites there.
In this way, Crores of Taka from gambling investments are being smuggled abroad.
Bangladeshi Mobile Financial Service (MFS) is being used as an easy means of financial transactions in gambling.
The most surprisingly using the development of mobile banking systems like Bikash, Nagad and rockets, Bangladeshis are transacting on multiple gambling sites.
Besides, there is an opportunity to pay through the bank.
According to the data of the Central Bank, the total number of customers in Mobile Financial Service (MFS) in the country stood at 19 crore 41 lakh at the end of December 2022.
One lakh eight thousand 467 crores of mobile banking were transacted in March alone, breaking all previous records.
Gambling sites are being advertised in Bengal language by targeting Facebook users to spread the game of gambling more and more among everyone.
Various offers are also being given for installing the app of the online casino.
Even the pictures of various celebrities of Bangladesh are seen in the advertisement.
A gambler opens an account on a betting site or app through a mobile number or email to gamble. Balance is added by creating an e-wallet against that account.
A regular online gambler said, “I used to gamble on Onexbet. First, I started playing on the site by paying TK five thousand cash.
Tk 5 to 30 thousand profit in one night. The next day, when I went to play for 10 to 15 thousand Taka, I lost the whole money.
It’s like addiction.
When you start playing, you want to play as long as you have money.
When the money ends, you want to invest money again and start the game, he added.
Basically, online gambling events take place targeting the T20 World Cup, IPL, Big Bash, English Premier League and various domestic and international tournament matches.
Expressing deep concern experts said that the online gambling is one of the new panic and fear for the new generation.
It’s like an addiction, once you get into it, you can’t help but become destitute.
Domestic violence is on the rise as participants become destitute, affecting law and order.
Dr. Tawhidul Haque, a society and crime expert, and also Assistant professor of University of Dhaka told the New Nation that the youth’s addiction to online based apps games is the one of the drawback of our society.
It is not possible to eradicate such crime by implementing only law, all class of people including the people representative and social workers have to come forward to solve this.
If a representative wants to solve it, the process will be easier as he knows the areas where youths play this type of gambling , Dr. Haque added.
Closing the gambling site does not solve the problem. On February 17, 2019, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) announced the closure of 176 online gambling sites.
BTRC’s ‘Digital Security Cell’ shut down 331 online gambling sites on October 10, 2022.
These illegal sites are shut down as part of the regular surveillance of the cell.
In addition, the international technology company search engine ‘Google’ contacted the authorities to report the closure of 150 Google apps related to online gambling or betting.
In the meantime, the Google authorities have closed 14 apps from the Play Store and are taking necessary steps to close the rest of the apps.
Law enforcement agencies say that many people have been arrested on different occasions as gambling is still illegal in Bangladesh.
BTRC may have blocked local access to such sites but gamblers are still accessing those using Virtual Private Networks or VPNs.
