The focus on vulnerable and problem gamblers, and especially the risk of such issues in the young, has been high on the conversation list for the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) the UK Government, and many industry insiders, and a recent story has proved why.A teenager from Lancashire, who is just 13 years old, took an interest in gambling after seeing adverts for online gambling companies while watching a football match at Wembley.
Fraud
The boy committed credit card fraud by stealing his father’s credit cards and details to sign up with online gambling websites, placing hundreds of bets every week on football and horse racing, betting anything up to £3,000 per bet.For six months the spending went unnoticed, but a call from the bank led to the boy’s parents confronting him and him immediately admitting what he’d done, at the time having spent in excess of £20,000.He was sent to a therapist and it was understood that the problem would not happen again.However, some months later the gambling started again, with the boy adding a further £60,000 to the £20,000 debt he had already built up, and doing so in a much shorter space of time.The boy, who will remain anonymous due to his age, has said that he had no idea how addictive gambling can be, and just thought it would be fun.
Advertising restrictions
With recent calls to bring online gabling advertising in line with tobacco advertising in terms of regulation due to fears of events much like these happening, this latest story adds further credence to the claims that restrictions should be increased heavily on gambling advertising to protect the vulnerable and the young.The boy, who is now 15, has apologised and says he understands the effects his actions have and will have on his family’s life, with the family saying they share their story as a warning to others.