Games are neither meant to be a perfect entertainer nor an antidote for stress always. These can also go to an extent of pushing us to a state of incessant stress and financial distress and unless fenced with control, it could cost a life. As the games are at the reach of one-touch on our smartphone, it easily takes us particularly the young generations into its world and if we welcomed by the addiction, the exit would be difficult. 

As everything has become online with the tag line of 'new normal' after the COVID-19 pandemic had majorly disrupted daily lives, the gaming software had found a special space in the online world, and 'Online Rummy' has been one of the games that earned wider reach and popularity through major advertisements. It had got thousands of users in its kitty and when the episodes of gambling had pushed many to end the game, on the other hand, it also had pushed many to end the lives.   

The state of Tamil Nadu had witnessed three suicides in the past ten days and these deaths were connected to Online Rummy where the victims had lost a lumpsum amount in gambling. These three deaths include the recent incident that occurred in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. According to reports, 28-year-old Madankumar was a bank employee in the city, and in the wee hours of Saturday, his relatives had spotted him hanging at his residence. 

He was a native of Seeranaickenpalayam in the district and the police say that he had committed suicide after he was upset over the financial loss incurred by playing the online rummy game. The initial investigation revealed that he had become an addict to the game and he had suffered losses and lost more money in the game. With being the latest and seemingly won't the last, the incident had stirred the debate and call to implement the regulations on the online games and carry out strong campaigns to prevent such suicides. 

Speaking to The NewStuff about the impact of the online rummy, Vairavan Thangavelu, who is the Founder and Chief Financial Officer of Loans Chief, the Mumbai based firm, said, "Though the online rummy games are legally allowed, it was designed under the category of 'Game of Skill', not as 'Game of Chance' or winning cash or lottery. Certain states prohibit lotteries with the concern to save the life of human beings and middle-class people who are losing their hard-earned money and lovely family atmosphere". 

He stated 'Similarly, the online rummy must be prohibited as the gambling to win cash, it rather can be used only for developing a game of skill. No one will understand the automation of a random number generator given by the online rummy application or how to play with the opponents by moving the card as it's totally an unpredictable game". 

"We have to move forward to the digital world, but certainly we should not move our intellectuality into playing online lottery or rummy which are unpredictable games", he adds by alarming that the digital online rummy will make our life as a dummy.

In what has become a message of caution, the recent suicides and his statement had pushed us to scrutinize what comes to our hand and where the digital world drives us through as the incidents had revealed that the online games won't be the entertainer always and it neither won't give relaxation nor remove the stress and these games would be as dangerous as COVID-19 as if we fail to fight back against the virtual and invisible contagions, we will become more vulnerable.