As online betting continues to wreak havoc in several families across the country, former Telangana Minister and BRS leader Harish Rao issued a grave warning to the youth, drawing from a tragic personal experience involving one of his own security personnel.
Speaking at a recent public event, Harish Rao revealed that his former gunman became addicted to online betting apps, eventually losing significant amounts of money. Burdened by mounting debt and unable to find a way out, the man committed a horrific act—he shot his wife and two young children, aged five and seven, before taking his own life using his service weapon.
Rao described the incident as deeply disturbing and emphasized that no shortcut can lead to genuine financial success. “The apps are not made for our benefit. They are traps designed to loot us, not to make us rich,” he said.
He further noted the growing number of cases where individuals—especially the youth—are falling into debt traps due to their involvement with online betting platforms. Many of them are taking high-interest loans, betting everything in hopes of recovering their losses, and ending up with nothing but despair. In some extreme cases, this has even led to suicide.
Highlighting the emotional and financial devastation these apps are causing, Rao appealed to the public to stay vigilant and discourage such platforms in their communities. “We must protect our families and our future generations from these dangerous traps,” he said.
With incidents like this becoming increasingly common, the former minister urged immediate awareness campaigns and stricter regulations to curb the spread of betting apps, which are often masked as entertainment but end in tragedy.
