Day after woman’s death, PMK announces protest against online gambling

CHENNAI: PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday announced that his party would stage a protest urging the State government to enact a law against online gambling.

"Though the Tamil Nadu government accepts the fact that online gambling is harmful and assures that people will be protected from online gambling no further step has been taken. The State government is not ready to accept that enacting a new law against online gambling is the only solution for the problem,” said Anbumani Ramadoss, who also added that the protest will be held at 11 am on Friday near Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore.

Anbumani also said that since the introduction of online rummy in 2014, more than 60 persons across the nation have committed suicide till November, 2020, when the ban on online rummy was introduced, but after the ban was lifted in August, last year, 22 persons have killed themselves in Tamil Nadu.

Pointing out at the data on online gambling, Anbumani said that 20 per cent of the total revenue generated in online gambling is from Tamil Nadu. "The revenue from online gambling for the current financial year is expected to be Rs 15,400 crore and by 2025 it is expected to reach Rs 38,500 crore. Going by the numbers, Tamil Nadu is expected to lose Rs 3,080 crore by this year and Rs 7,700 crore by 2025. It is not just the money that is taken out but also the livelihood of several lakhs of families,” said Anbumani.

29-year-old Bavani from Chennai was the latest victim for online rummy as she killed herself on Sunday night after losing lakhs of rupees by mortaging 20 sovereigns of gold jewels and borrowing Rs 3 lakh from her siblings.

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