Nation of gamblers
Scotland revealed to be betting capital of Britain 45,000 addicts and 4pc of us play ‘crack’ machines
SCOTLAND has been exposed as Britain’s gambling capital with more than 45,000 addicts and 10 per cent of the adult population betting online.
Research reveals 66 per cent of Scots gambled in the year before the survey, compared with 56 per cent in England and 55 per cent in Wales.
Some 4 per cent of Scottish adults – about 180,104 people – have gambled on machines in bookmakers.
This is the highest proportion in Britain, fuelling fears over the effects of fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT), which have been described as the ‘crack cocaine’ of gambling.
The maximum stakes on these machines is to be reduced from £100 to £2, leading to estimates that up to half of all UK betting shops will have to close because of the massive loss in income. But last night there was concern that damage had already been done to communities across Scotland, where high concentrations of bookmakers have stoked widespread problem gambling.
Scottish Labour communities spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘These are deeply troubling figures.
‘Problem gambling is harming individuals, families and communities across Scotland, with often the poorest people suffering the most.
‘Scottish Labour successfully persuaded SNP ministers to bring new betting shops under planning control, but much more must be done to reduce problem gambling and the clustering of betting shops in communities.’
Miss Lennon described the figures as a ‘wake-up call to the SNP Government to use the full powers of the Scottish parliament to tackle problem gambling’.
The Gambling Commission report shows the rate of problem gambling across Britain is 0.7 per cent but 1 per cent in Scotland – equating to 45,026 adults.
Some 10 per cent took part in online betting with a bookmaker north of the Border, against 8 per cent in England and 4 per cent in Wales.
And a total of 51 per cent of Scottish adults play the National Lottery, compared with 40 per cent in England and 41 per cent in Wales.
Tim Miller, executive director at the Gambling Commission, said: ‘This research doesn’t explore the reasons why people gamble.
‘But these figures show there is a need for action to deliver a sustained and significant reduction in the levels of problem gambling and we will continue to drive the industry to build momentum towards this goal.
‘We continue to work with a wide variety of agencies across Scotland – including NHS Scotland, the Scottish Government and local authorities – to raise awareness of the risks of gambling and gambling-related harm.’
Last night, a spokesman for Gamblers Anonymous in Scotland said: ‘The demand for support and counselling has certainly increased – we had 50 meetings a few years ago, across Scotland, and that is now up to 75.
‘All forms of gambling have the potential to be destructive, though some allow people to lose money more rapidly than others. Basically, someone who really wants to gamble will find a way to do so. We’re here to support them when they develop problems.’
A spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said that ‘tackling problem gambling remains a challenge for the whole gambling industry’.
He added: ‘Betting shops are now working to adjust to the UK Government’s announcement [in May of this year] that stakes on gaming machines will be reduced from £100 to £2.
‘This is a seismic change for the betting industry and will cause hundreds of job losses across Scotland and require significant readjustment in terms of shop numbers.
‘Those shops that survive these changes will continue to work tirelessly to provide a safe place to gamble with staff interaction and industry-leading, responsible gambling measures.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We encourage any actions that can help to reduce the impact of problem gambling, and last year extended planning controls regarding new betting shops, to support Scottish Planning Policy on the over-provision or clustering of such premises.
‘The Scottish Government has argued for the full devolution of gambling. However, the Scotland Act 2016 included a very limited power in relation to certain machines in new betting shops.
‘This reduction of the maximum stake on these machines to £2 will effectively remove this power, and therefore we will reflect further on any impact this move has on devolved responsibilities, and on what powers we feel are appropriate to tackle problem gambling in Scotland.’
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