The craze for online gaming has surged in recent times, but this habit is increasingly leading to serious financial losses. A shocking incident has come to light from Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, where a young man stole valuables from his own home to fuel his addiction to online gaming.
The incident took place in Waraseoni village, where a youth named Siddhant Damah stole jewellery and cash from his house to spend on online games. He ended up losing the entire amount—₹8 lakh—on gaming platforms. The police have arrested Siddhant in connection with the theft.
Complaint Filed by Uncle
Gajendra Damah, a resident of Waraseoni, lodged a complaint with the police stating that his nephew Siddhant had stolen jewellery and money from the house. During the investigation, police uncovered startling facts: Siddhant had pawned the stolen jewellery and used the money entirely for online gaming.Police found receipts of the pawned jewellery in Siddhant’s room. He was taken into custody, presented in court, and placed under a two-day police remand.
The investigation is currently ongoing. The parliament of India has cleared the online gaming bill to ban real money online games, citing instances of gambling addiction, money laundering and financial frauds.The government said it had taken into consideration how such addiction left families in distress and drove people to suicide. Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, who tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha, said money-gaming addiction is like ‘drug addiction’.“The powerful people behind online money games will challenge the decision in courts. They will run social media campaigns against this ban. We have seen the impact of games and how the money is used to support terror,” said Vaishnaw.