Against The Odds

The Kerala government has banned all lotteries in the state—government-run as well as the online and single-digit money-spinners of northeastern states. The move is a bid to check the draining out of the yearly Rs 5,000-crore from the state’s economy. But the ban came after the Supreme Court chided the government for ignoring its directives. On the flip side, the ban has brought 3,00,000 agents and vendors to the streets. Sasi Kumar, a lottery ticket vendor in Alappuzha, committed suicide on the rail tracks following the ban. He left a note to chief minister Oommen Chandy, telling him he had no option left. The lottery agents association will start a stir.