Government called to take urgent action on problem gambling

The representatives of various churches came together to raise their concerns over findings in the Gambling Commission 2010 Prevalence Study.

The study notes that there has been a rise in the number of people gambling as well as those classified as problem gamblers.

Even when the National Lottery is discounted from figures, 56 per cent of the population took part in some form of gambling in the past year, compared to 48 per cent in 2007.

The number of problem gamblers meanwhile has risen from an estimated 284,000 in 2007 to an estimated 360,000 at least today.

Daniel Webster, of the Evangelical Alliance, said it was easy to turn to gambling in tough economic times as a quick fix to financial problems. He warned, however, that the real big winners were not the gamblers but the betting shops and casinos.

Gareth Wallace, of The Salvation Army, said there were far too many problem gamblers in Britain today.

He called upon the Government to halt its plans to raise the stakes of gaming machines, as well as plans to allow arcades and bingo halls to increase in number.

The Rev Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, echoed his concerns, saying that gaming machines in betting shops “turn every high street into a casino”.

Paul Morrison, of the Methodist Church, said: “The Government must stop putting industry profit before prevention. Localism should mean that local councils have the power to regulate what happens in their communities and ensure it is to the benefit of all.”

The report notes that problem gamblers are more likely to be young men, who suffer poor health and have a family history of problem gambling.

Malcolm Brown, Director of Mission and Public Affairs at the Church of England, said: “Problem gamblers become sucked into a distorted view of reality and often drag themselves and their families into insecurity and poverty.

“This is not just a matter of personal morality and character, but a problem exacerbated by the values communicated by the wider social and policy context.”

The church leaders appealed to the Government to conduct another prevalence study and take action to assess the cultural impact of gambling, despite funding cuts to the Gambling Commission.

Mr Wallace said: “This is not the time to be walking blindfolded into an increase in problem gambling.”