Mum confesses to ‘prize draw addiction’

A single mum has told how a prize draw addiction left her in debt and suicidal.

Speaking to the BBC, Lisa — not her real name — ran up a debt of £5,000. She admitted to gambling away £400 on competitions in 90 separate transactions in one day alone.

Since June last year, operators can sign up to a voluntary code of conduct, but MPs and Peers in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Reform (APPG) are calling for “a robust regulatory framework with enforceable safeguards”.

Slot machine buzz

Explaining the lure of some prize draws, where the stake may be small but the number of times you can play limitless, Lisa said: “You win £20 credit and £30 instant win prizes and it keeps you going and feeling, ‘oh, this is fun’. It’s like when you play a slot machine.”

But as losses mounted and her debt increased, she hit “desperation point”. She described feeling “a complete lack of hope or care for the future” and found herself “waking up every day and worrying how you are going to afford things”.

She said that firms “will text you, they will email you, and you feel an urgency” to enter. She added: “They really want to tap into the quick, instant desire.” According to the BBC, Lisa is currently receiving help for her problem gambling.

Aggressive marketing

Clinical lead and consultant psychologist at the NHS Northern Gambling Service Dr Matt Gaskell MBE commented: “It looks like a real grey area that’s being exploited.”

Recounting his own experience of entering ‘a giveaway competition’, he said: “It seemed to be something that looked like gambling, felt like gambling.”

“The biggest thing that surprised me was the aggressive marketing that went with it. There was more aggressive marketing that lent itself to the potential of more aggressive wagering. That’s where harm tends to ensue.”

He also said: “It’s becoming something that more and more staff are mentioning. That’s why we think there need to be tougher laws and regulations.”

Co-Chair of the APPG, Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, said the group is “examining this sector as part of its ongoing inquiry and will assess whether the current framework is fit for purpose”.