Sikkim Cracks Down on Online Gambling After CM’s Stern Warning

In recent times, gambling apps like Khelobet had emerged as silent destroyers in Sikkim, luring poor and middle-class families with false promises of instant wealth. Instead of profits, people lost their hard-earned savings, fell into debt, and suffered from anxiety, depression, and even tragic cases of suicide. Families were torn apart, trust was broken, and many young people wasted precious time and resources chasing illusions of quick money.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) recently raised the issue during a public event, calling online gambling a “silent killer” and questioning, “If we are the happiest state, why are our people dying?” He urged collective action to protect families, warning that the addiction “starts small but ends in disaster.”

Responding to this alarming trend, the state government has banned platforms like Khelobet and Khel 2Bet.

Sikkim’s government has taken decisive action to curb the proliferation of illegal online gambling in the state. Following a strong warning from Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang—who described such platforms as a “silent killer” leading to suicides and family ruin—the State Lotteries Directorate, together with CID police and the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), launched a statewide crackdown.

Online gambling apps like Khelobet, once a silent destroyer pushing families into debt and despair, have now been banned in Sikkim. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang’s strong warning has turned into action, protecting countless households from financial ruin, addiction, and broken homes while restoring hope for the youth.