The number of gambling addicts seeking help is on the rise
The number of people seeking professional help for a gambling addiction increased by more than 20% last year according to a charity that supports compulsive players, reports the Guardian.
GamCare is an advisory body that helps those with gambling addictions and is partly funded by the betting industry. They deal with around 100 people a day who need advice and counselling and have stated that 50,788 calls and emails were received through the telephone helpline service and Internet NetLine, an annual increase of almost 9 thousand calls. The number of counselling sessions also went up by 30% to 12,500.
“Our advisers and counsellors have never been busier,” said the organisation’s chief executive, Andy McLellan. “More people are finding out about the help we offer, contacting us, and being helped. We get a significant number of suicidal calls.
“But we also know we are still only scratching the surface. The Gambling Commission’s review of research, education and treatment suggested that less than 1% of people who could benefit from treatment actually take it up. There’s a lot more for us to do, and a lot more people out there that we need to help.”
In a prevalence survey compile by the gambling commission in 2007 results showed that 68% of the population has gambled within the past year. Problem gambling in Britain is estimated to be lower than in Hong Kong and the US but higher than in Norway, Canada and New Zealand.