Pradeep Kumar, 24, a postgraduate from Kanpur has been struggling with gambling addiction for two years. It has led to him frequently taking loans from multiple sources to feed his habit.

"On one occasion, he lost over 125,000 Indian rupees (€1,350) in a cricketing app that nearly destroyed him. We take him for counseling, but he keeps falling back into his addictive behavior. These apps promise easy money," Ranjani, his mother, told DW.

Kumar's story is not uncommon in India. There are many stories of individuals, especially young people, losing significant sums which put severe financial strain on families.

In the southern state of Telangana, betting apps have also gained rapid traction. A family of three in Nizamabad took their lives last year after being unable to repay a loan of 3 million rupees (€32,400) racked up by their son through online gambling.

India has more than 140 million users regularly taking part in online gambling and betting. These numbers surge to 370 million users during major events, like the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament.

Alongside the boom in online betting apps, fantasy gaming has emerged as a significant segment of the online gaming industry. Fantasy apps like Dream11,........

© Deutsche Welle