Briana’s (name changed) fairytale marriage was shattered when she realized her husband, was going to casinos accompanied by different women. To her horror she found that from initially being addicted to gambling, he was now going around with different women.
“I knew that he frequented in the off-shore casino before our marriage, but I didn’t pay much attention. After we married, he did take me to these places a couple of times. But one day, he suddenly stopped,” she recounted teary eyed.
She is now contemplating to call off her marriage as differences between the husband and wife have grown. “My marriage is on the rocks. He does not contribute to the expenses of the house. He spends on gambling and is seen with new girls every night,” she said.
This is disturbing no doubt. But there are lots of such instances.
In another case, another married woman suspects her husband sold her gold ornaments to repay debts incurred in casinos “I had received kilos of gold at the time of my marriage… My husband once asked me to hand over the gold assuring to keep it safe in the locker, but I don’t find them anywhere now,” Savita (name changed) said suspecting her husband might have sold the precious metal to repay debts to people, from whom he had taken loans to gamble in casinos.
Women’s organization Bailancho Saad said they receive a significant number of cases of disturbed family relationships, which on inquiry reveal casino connections.
“We don’t get cases as casino cases. These are cases of assault or abuses, disturbed families, emotionally disturbed children and other types. Once we get deeper into these cases, we find that they linked to men who frequent casinos”, Bailancho Saad Convener Sabina Martins said.
In another disturbing case, which is currently being handled by the NGO; a young girl coming from a lower middle class family got entrapped trap in the ‘different glittery world’ of casinos and even got another female friend into it.
“She would accompany her male guests on the gambling counter, get drinks and do side jobs. She has roped in her friend too.
These are some cases. And there are many more such cases, say NGOs who are up in arms against casinos.
When the dice rolled over and fell Gambles that proved costly
a) Banglaore based V R Gaikwad,( name used after seeking permission though his close friend) who owned a company called Flux power and supplied stabilizers met a person in an adjoining table in a restaurant in Panjim who happened to be soliciting customers to play in a casino. He soon got sucked into the habit and started gambling heavily making trips to Goa just to gamble. He lost heavily and had to close down his business and lose all the money he had.
b) Panjim based former restaurant owner sold his land for Rs 3 crore. After investing in a property in Philippines he used the rest of the money to gamble. He is stepped in debt with creditors hounding him.
