By News18,Sahas

Copyright news18

Online gambling carries a significant risk of addiction and harm. This is because of several reasons, like its accessibility and the blurring line between digital gaming and real-money betting, leading to financial stress, relationship breakdown, and mental health issues. People start gambling for fun, but it can become addictive because of the brain’s reward system, much like drugs or alcohol can. In a similar vein, a man shared a heart-wrenching tale of his struggles with gambling addiction on Reddit, and it had destroyed his life.
The Reddit user who goes by the username JumpConsistent3359 identified himself as XYZ. In his harrowing story, the youngster mentioned that the gambling left him with a massive debt of Rs 33 lakh. He revealed that he was a computer science student, but a poor performance in his 12th-grade exams led him to this situation.
How Did It All Start?
After scoring 55%, XYZ couldn’t secure placements, and instead of facing his parents, he fabricated a story about landing a high-paying job. His parents believed him, and he continued to weave a web of lies, asking for money under various pretences – rental deposits, coaching fees, and career growth opportunities.
“It all started with my 12th percentage — 55%. Because of that, I couldn’t sit for placements. Instead of facing the truth, I lied. I told my parents I had a job paying $20,000–$30,000 USD (Rs 16–25 lakh). They believed me. They were proud of me,” he wrote in his post.
Each time, his father obliged, unaware that his son was spending the funds on gambling. The situation worsened when his father gave him more money under the guise of loans for fictional friends.
I destroyed my life with gambling. ₹33 lakh debt, lies to my father, and using friends’ names byu/JumpConsistent3359 inDebt

“But the worst part is this: my father works as a lender, giving money on interest to people. To get even more money for gambling, I told him 11 fake names — I said these were my “friends” who wanted to join tuition and needed loans. My father gave me the money under their names. My friends don’t even know about it. All of that money is gone too,” he added.
And Parents Think He Has A Job
The Redditor further mentioned that the total debt amounted to a staggering Rs 33 lakh. His father expects him to repay the loans and send money home, believing he’s earning Rs 1 lakh per month.
“At the same time, because of my lies, my father thinks I’m earning Rs 1,00,000 per month (~$1,200 USD) from my “job.” He expects me to send that income and also repay all the loans. But in reality, I’m unemployed, addicted to gambling, and sinking deeper every day,” the post read further.
With a foundation in Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) and system design, the youngster mentioned that he wants to study and apply for jobs. ‘But instead, I’m stuck in this endless loop of lies and gambling losses.’
He’s Repenting To The Core
The weight of his lies and addiction has left XYZ feeling trapped and helpless. He knows he needs to break free from this cycle and rebuild his life, but the fear of his father’s reaction keeps him silent.
“I feel like I’ve already ruined everything. Rs33 lakh debt. A fake job. A fake salary. Lies on top of lies. I want to escape this gambling hell.I think suicide is the best option to be honest. I want to rebuild. But right now, it feels like there’s no way out. Just darkness. If I say all this, my dad would die due to cardiac arrest on the spot he owns just a small shop earning hardly 50k per month,” he concluded.