MPs urge Govt to crack down on gambling amid plethora of harms

The House of Commons’ Health and Social Care Committee has warned of the “serious harm” gambling can cause “financially, physically, mentally, and in some cases as a cause of suicide”.

In a letter to the Department of Health and Social Care, the Committee’s Chairwoman Layla Moran MP urged the Government to review the Gambling Act 2005, in light of the Committee’s recent evidence session on gambling-related harms.

She noted that although 80 per cent of the population are exposed to gambling advertising each week, it has still not been banned before the watershed, and problem gamblers also feel “there is no escape”.

Children

Moran said the evidence the Committee heard “emphasised how prevalent and normalised gambling has become in society”, and it was “disappointing to hear” that the current preventative approach is solely through the gambling levy and “not through regulation”.

She called for strengthened rules to ensure that adverts “do not contain elements designed to appeal to children and young people”, along with further restrictions on sport sponsorships.

The Chairwoman highlighted that “there is not enough awareness” of gambling’s dangers in the general population, calling for a public information campaign of “all the possible harms” as well as training for coroners on gambling-related suicide.

In conclusion, she stated that the “Government should review the Gambling Act to ensure that the current legislative framework gives all agencies the power and responsibilities needed to deliver a total system response”.

‘I lost thousands’

In Northern Ireland, 32-year-old Stephen Kerr told the BBC how he has lost “thousands” of pounds since he became hooked on gambling at 15 years old.

Kerr, who now uses social media to help other problem gamblers, said his bets “started off small and just kept growing and growing”.

He emphasised: “Don’t suffer in silence, reach out, but reach out to the right people, be it to gamblers anonymous groups or somebody going through recovery online. Don’t wait to hit rock bottom for every rock bottom is a trap door”.

According to the Northern Ireland Research Agency, 57 per cent of adults surveyed in 2024 admitted to gambling in the previous twelve months. Overall, three per cent of respondents were classed as problem gamblers.