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Green councillor calls for ‘tighter rules’ on online gambling
A Bristol councillor says tighter rules are needed on online gambling after his housemate lost his life savings. Coming home from work one day, Green councillor Ed Fraser found his housemate crying on the sofa after losing more than £10,000.
Bristol City Council is responsible for licensing in-person gambling, like betting shops and casinos, but has few powers to refuse permission for a new licence. Online gambling is not regulated by local councils, but the government is facing calls to improve regulation.
One particular issue is the clear links between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and gambling addiction. Councillors voted to approve an updated gambling policy, during a full council meeting on Tuesday.
is needed now More than ever
Fraser said: “I used to live in a houseshare with a guy called Mani. Like me, Mani has ADHD.
“When we lived together, he got me into online gambling. Generally we’d place accumulator bets on football fixtures and occasionally we went to the casino. I saw it as a bit of fun and I did my best to bet within my means, but for him it was becoming more serious.
“One day I came home from work and he was in tears on the sofa. He’d got hyperfixated playing an online casino game and started chasing his losses. Within just half an hour, he’d gone from losing £100 to losing over £10,000 – his and his girlfriend’s life savings.
“We now know from academic research that two in five problem gamblers meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. We know from years of research in the banking sector that people with ADHD are more susceptible to impulsive and addictive spending activities, yet this hasn’t been recognised in government policy.”
I spoke at @BristolCouncil today on gambling policy, sharing the story of my old housemate who lost his life savings chasing a loss.
Central government needs to do more to protect people recovering from gambling addiction and break their links to the industry. pic.twitter.com/TSnw9njypp
— Ed Fraser (@egwfraser) December 10, 2024
Fraser added the government should consider the links between ADHD and gambling addiction in regulation, but criticised links between some Labour politicians and the gambling industry. The party has previously faced scrutiny over receiving donations from bosses of gambling firms.
While online gambling isn’t regulated by councils, in-person gambling is. This includes betting shops, bingo halls and casinos. According to council figures, Bristol has 40 betting shops, one casino, eight adult gaming centres and three bingo halls. Another casino on Millennium Square recently shut down.
Liberal Democrat councillor Stephen Williams, chair of the public health and communities policy committee, said: “Our officers think this is a low risk area for the council. In the last year we’ve inspected 15 betting shops, one adult gaming centre and two casinos, and found no material issues.”
Main photo: Bristol City Council
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