Betting nearly destroyed me. The industry must not be allowed to water down online gambling reform | Matt Zarb-Cousin

This sector makes 86% of its profits from 5% of its customers. It will not change until it is forced to

Thirteen years ago, I was suicidal. I remember overwhelming feelings of guilt, and a loss of agency. I no longer felt in control of my own life, and while I had racked up significant debts that took many years to repay, it wasn’t just a gradual loss of money that led to a collapse in my mental health. It was what gambling had done to my brain.

I had been sucked in to fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), which until 2019 permitted stakes of up to £100 a spin in betting shops. The rapid event frequency, high stakes and addictive roulette content were the factors that brought on a form of psychological dependence. My suicidal ideation came not because of the amount of money I had lost, but because I didn’t have access to any more money to gamble with. I could no longer escape from the problems gambling itself had created.

Matt Zarb-Cousin is the director of Clean Up Gambling

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 988 or chat for support. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis text line counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

In the UK, support for problem gambling can be found via the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic on 020 7381 7722, or GamCare on 0808 8020 133. In the US, the National Council on Problem Gambling is on 800-522-4700. In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available on 1800 858 858 and the National Debt Helpline is at 1800 007 007

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