More gambling clinics were set up after record demand

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By James Fitzgerald BBC News

5 hours ago

Image source, Getty Images

photo caption,

The NHS has highlighted the ease of ‘at the touch of a button’ gambling on smartphones

NHS England has nearly doubled the number of gambling addiction clinics after referrals hit a record high.

Seven new facilities will open this summer in addition to the eight already available across the country.

Some 1,389 patients were referred to gambling support in 2022/23 – a sharp rise from 775 two years earlier.

However, political opponents accused the ministers of being “sluggish” on reforms promised to protect gamblers.

In a statement announcing the new clinics, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS, said gambling addiction was “a cruel disease with the potential to destroy people’s lives”.

Ms Pritchard added that children and adults were being “bombarded” with gambling advertisements, which also highlighted the ease of “touch-of-a-button” gambling on modern smartphones.

The NHS announcement follows a coroner’s ruling on Thursday that a bookmaker could have done more to help a gambler who committed suicide in 2021 after racking up huge debts.

The company in question, Betfair, said it met all the regulatory standards in force at the time, but admitted in hindsight that it should have done more.

When it opens the full suite of 15 facilities across England, the health service hopes to be able to treat 3,000 patients a year, using techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

The seven new clinics are in Blackpool, Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Thurrock in Essex.

This is in addition to other companies already operating in London, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Southampton, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford.

There is an eighth clinic in London not only for treating gambling addiction but also for children and young people.

Neil O’Brien, the Public Health Secretary, noted the “sharp rise” in the number of people seeking NHS treatment for gambling issues, stating that such issues could have a “devastating impact” on people’s lives.

He said the government has put in place plans to address such issues, including the obligation to introduce a statutory tax so that gambling companies pay their “fair share” for treatment services.

Among the proposed measures was a £2 bet limit on online slot machines for young gamblers. But activists attacked the lack of action on the ads.

The new addiction facilities have been described as “encouraging” by the Gambling with Lives charity, whose director of strategy Will Prochaska said the clinics “could not come at a more relevant moment, while gambling advertising is drawing more people into harm’s way”.

Sunday’s announcement was also welcomed by Matt Zareb Cosin, Director of Clean Up Gambling, who said: “Gambling is an addiction like any other and 86% of online gambling earnings come from the 5% who are addicted or at risk.

“It is very important that access to treatment is normalized and people know there is NHS help available in their area if they have been harmed by gambling – the harm on which the current industry business model is built.”

The LDP said news of the record addiction referrals showed the Tories had not done enough to protect gamblers.

“Many people suffer from the harms of gambling,” said health spokeswoman Daisy Cooper, MP.

The Conservatives have been promising reforms to protect them for years, but they are still dragging their feet.

“These new figures should be a wake-up call for ministers to stop dithering and act now, before more lives are destroyed.”

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