Tamil Nadu's Additional Public Prosecutor, E. Raj Thilak, representing the Director General of Police, told a Division Bench of the Madras High Court in June 2025 that between 2019 and 2024 there were 47 deaths by suicide due to addiction to online games1. The figure was cited in a Sportstar column published on August 27, 2025, which reported the state-level data as part of the case for India's ban on real-money online gaming1.
The same article noted that the National Crime Records Bureau does not yet maintain a national category for suicides linked to online gaming, and that Karnataka officials have acknowledged multiple suicides tied to online rummy and betting since 20231. Parliament was told that between 2022 and June 2025, 1,524 betting and gambling websites and mobile apps were blocked1.
"Tamil Nadu's Additional Public Prosecutor, E. Raj Thilak, representing the Director General of Police in June 2025, told a Division Bench of the Madras High Court that between 2019 and 2024 there were as many as 47 deaths by suicide due to addiction to online games."
The deaths were reported against the backdrop of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which outlaws money-based games and forced operators including Dream11 and MPL to halt cash games and unwind contracts1. A government source told PTI that there is a rough estimate that 45 crore people lose money every year, with the total impact of the loss estimated tentatively at around ₹20,000 crore1.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Deaths by suicide from online game addiction, Tamil Nadu, 2019 to 2024 | 471 |
| Betting and gambling sites and apps blocked, 2022 to June 2025 | 1,5241 |
| Estimated annual loss impact | around ₹20,000 crore1 |
| Estimated people losing money each year | 45 crore1 |
What it means for players
The 47 deaths were reported to a court as addiction-related, not as losses from any single game or operator, and the National Crime Records Bureau does not yet keep a national category for such deaths, so the true national count is not established in the reporting1. For players in India, the practical context is the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which outlaws money-based games; operators such as Dream11 and MPL have halted cash games and are unwinding contracts1. The government's stated justification for the ban is public health, and the blocking of 1,524 betting and gambling websites and mobile apps between 2022 and June 2025 indicates enforcement has extended to access as well as operation1. Details of how the Tamil Nadu figure was compiled, or whether it covers only registered cases, have not been reported1.
What happens next
The article does not set out dated next steps for the Madras High Court matter or for the 47 deaths. It reports that the ban has already forced operators to halt cash games and unwind contracts, and that the loss of a category leader could reduce the sports market by ₹500 to ₹1,000 crore, with smaller leagues most affected1. No further court dates or enforcement milestones are given1.
Players in India can read more on whether they can gamble in India and on what the online gaming ban means for players. Support and warning-sign information for the region is set out in Safer Gambling in Asia. The article listed Tele-MANAS on 14416 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline on 044-246400501.
Sources1 sources
- Off-side, Lives over logos: Why India was right to ban online gaming sponsorship - Sportstar, sportstar.thehindu.com
