Gambling Addiction on the Rise

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by Change | 16 Sep 2008

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A new government policy that increases the opportunity to gamble will cause devastation for thousands of families across Britain.

Critics believe that The Gambling Act, which has recently been passed, will encourage more people to gamble and as a result, the number of addicts will increase. This rise will also cause a greater loss in public funds, which already stands at nearly ten billion pounds each year.

As a result of previous UK policy, the situation through out Britain is already of concern. Three out of four Britons gamble every week and many of these are children, who are allowed to gamble under UK law. In fact, young people are most at risk of becoming addicts, with free access to slot machines and online gambling - the fastest growing sector of the gaming industry. As a result of this policy, the Government raised nearly £2 billion in taxes from the gambling industry throughout 2008.

Mark Griffiths, who is the only professor on gambling in the UK, is concerned about the current situation.

He says: "The Gambling Act is making it easier to open betting shops, most of which are in poorer areas." He adds, 'It will be the poor who suffer the most." More deprived areas such as Hackney, for example, which already has 95 shops, are preparing for more to open, despite a backlash from local residents.

Risk of Addiction problems

Many of the opportunities provided by this new act will lead to a greater risk of addiction.

In addition to the dangerous rise in online gaming, whereby addicts are given free reign to gamble in the privacy of their own homes, the increase in fixed odds betting terminals is cause for major concern.

Notably, these machines are extremely addictive as they encourage punters to keep on playing under the premise that they are winning. With the revenue they bring in, however, gaming industry consultant Warwick Bartlett believes that a lot of shops wouldn't survive without them.

Lack of support and advice for treating gambling addiction problems

With the passing of The Gambling Act, the government is failing to support those in need of serious help. Currently, addicts are not being provided with any support and the problem is escalating. The concern is now the next generation, who risk falling down this dismal road to the illness of having a gambling problem.

Addiction treatment is available for those who wish to seek it.

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