In such games, a Caucasian host would facilitate each round, taking turns to swop with another after a certain period of time had elapsed.
On average, the number of people in any one game numbered in the tens of thousands, although some may have only been watching what transpired on screen, as players need not actually place bets to view what was happening.
For those keen to make a quick buck however, the website accepted deposits in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Otherwise, it also accepted those made with a Visa card or through virtual wallet AstroPay.
Addiction is hard to beat
Since online gambling sites allow gamblers to access their bank accounts or credit cards easily, it makes it easier for debts to “multiply at astronomical rates”, said Dr Munidasa Winslow, the founder of psychiatric and psychology clinic Promises Healthcare.
He added that the sheer ease at which money could be lost is what makes online gambling such a danger for gambling addicts.
Describing gambling as one of the worst addictions to have, he said that those who tend to gamble online on illegal sites skewed younger, from 18 to 35, and were mostly men.
“Among all the addictions though, they are the ones least likely to come forward (to seek help). They find it difficult to wrap their heads around the fact that they have a problem,” said Dr Winslow.
“None of the alcoholics I’ve worked with think that by going back to drinking, all their problems will be gone. But gamblers, they think that the next time they go back to gambling, their problems will disappear.”
This mindset, while paradoxical, is spurred by the pursuit of the next big win, he added, although there was no guarantee that they would get any windfalls.
While some gamblers may seek help on their own accord, many others do so only at the behest of their families, said Ms Khor Hui Yin, a counsellor at Resilienz Clinic.
This may happen after they incur debts and seek their families’ help to bail them out financially.
The main challenge most problem gamblers face is managing their gambling urges when faced with triggers like peer pressure and exposure to gambling advertisements.