Gambling crisis soars during lockdown
A MIX of isolation and boredom in lockdown sparked a spike in gambling addiction.
Almost one in five gamblers said he or she had been staking 75 to 100 per cent more than usual.
Six in 10 also admitted suffering more anxiety and depression.
The news comes as Flutter Entertainment – the company behind Paddy Power and Betfair – this week said online gambling profits had soared in lockdown.
Research by Help4addiction counselling service revealed that people aged 35 to 44 were among the worst affected.
The organisation’s chief, Nick
Conn, told how it had received more inquiries than ever in lockdown.
He said: “One of the big issues with gambling is its accessibility, so even in a lockdown, people can keep gambling, online or via apps.“ps.
Gambling has the highest riskk of suicide attached to it, compared to any other addiction.”
Labour MP Carolyn Harris, chair of the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group, called on the Government to take action
“immediately” to protect people from the harm gambling can cause.
Health chiefs estimate there are 400,000 gambling addicts in England and two million people are at risk of developing the conditioncondition.
Dealing with the problem is thought to cost the NNHS around £750milli750million a year.
Father-of-three Nabil Elmoelmoumni had beaten his 30-year gambling addiction, but relapsed dduring lockdown. Telecom engineer Nabil, 46, spent more than £6,000 while stuck at home bombarded with offers of free bets and slot spins.
He said: “I was just getting loads of emails and thought the only way to be financially secure was to bet.
“It’s impossible to stop people gambling. It’s a delusion. I think I will win, I minimise the risk.”
Nabil, from Waltham Cross, Herts, has been seeking help for the past 11 years but in that time, has lapsed and given in to online gambling.
His addiction has so far cost him around £1million. He even turned to drugs when he lost his company and fell into financial difficulty.