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City workers and teenagers at NHS clinic for gambling
Mark Blunden26.11.08
City high-flyers and teenagers are among scores of Londoners seeking help at Britain's first NHS gambling-addiction clinic, launched officially today.
The National Problem Gambling Clinic in Soho has been open for six weeks and about 40 men and women have enrolled, from students to pensioners.
Three teenagers have been referred, with one 16-year-old already hooked on betting terminals in bookmakers. Patients often have debts of thousands of pounds and charity Gamcare says it is "not unusual" to see six-figure sums.
Lead consultant psychiatrist Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones said: "All of them seem to have relevant others, families who care about them and support them.
"They all have jobs, even the youngest people, and often work six or seven days a week, sometimes doing two jobs and then spending all they have.
"They then borrow money from friends and relations and get into problems because they can't pay it back. They spend their lunchtimes gambling, their evenings and often also hours at night."
Addictions include electronic roulette machines, fruit machines, betting on horses and internet gaming.
A seven-strong team including therapists and counsellors are based at the clinic, which is in the Soho Centre for Health in Frith Street.
The centre is part of Central and North West London NHS foundation trust. It also offers employment and relationship advice, debt counselling and helps drug addicts and alcoholics as well as housing Gamblers Anonymous and Gamcare.
Treatment for gambling addiction is a 24-week course of cognitive behavioural therapy with group and family sessions.
Dr Bowden-Jones said: "By the time people get to us they are desperate, so we're seeing the severe end of the spectrum. More often than not, we see a history of suicidal thinking."
Addicts anywhere can refer themselves for free treatment at the clinic - which may offer live-in facilities - or be sent by their GP, court order, probation officer or by organisations such as Gamcare.
The 12-month pilot scheme is being paid for with £250,000 from the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, the charity of the £55-billion-a-year gaming industry.
It said it was "awaiting evaluation and feedback" before deciding whether to keep funding the project.
The Gambling Commission says Britain has about 250,000 problem gamblers. Gamblers Anonymous puts the figure at nearer 600,000, with an estimated 40 per considering suicide. "Problem" gambling is defined as behaviour which disrupts a major area of life, whether psychological, physical, social or vocational.
Reader views (13)
Yes your right P Staker,these silly people do need to take responsibility and we should make sure as a democracy we DONT vote them in again.That is what you meant isnt it???.I hope so for i cant imagine anyone being as ignorant or plain stupid as your comment suggests.
- Dave,Stockport, Stockport,England
These machines are a con. DO NOT use them. I never saw anybody campaigning to have fobt's on every high street in the country but the politicians thought it was what we needed. I wonder how many children will go without food or other essentials because parents can't help but use these bloody machines. Thanks again Labour.
- Ben, norwich england
The government is desperate to get consumers spending again. They have cut VAT and interest rates in a desperate bid for this to happen. Imagine the boost to the economy if the up to 600 000 problem gamblers spent their money elsewhere. For a quick end to the recession put an outright ban on gambling
- Jonathan, London, England
I play on these machines and am foolishly addicted like thousands of people young and old (yes ive seen many a pensioner losing his pension and unemployed). Ive lost thousands this year alone. I don't understand how they say each terminal only makes £600-£700 a week. Ive seen people put in 2 grand in one go and leave with nothing, from witnessing it I find this totally untrue. How they work this scam is unknown and unreleased anywhere, I believe the profit they are making is ten fold this figure and is not true at all i.e people leaving these machines with a money receipt is very rare as they will be tempted to carry on as they have been programmed like this to entice you to lose it all if you do win a bit. These machines are down right scandelous and the Irish government have been right to ban them!!!!!
- Fobt Addict, London
1 of the 6 betting shops in my local area displays the following sign in the window to encourage new and younger people in to the shop to play on the gaming machines. "FREE TO ENTER SLOTS COMPETITION. PLUS DAILY CASH PRIZE IN THIS SHOP".
It would appear that MP'S are quite willing to introduce legislation to ban "Happy Hours" in bars and pubs but not to curb young people from being introduced to betting on gaming machines. Why?
- David, HARROW
On Newsnight, following the collapse of Woolworth, Jeremy Paxman asked the question as to what the high streets of Britain will look like in 5/10 years time? Those living in London Boroughs can be certain that the rapid expansion in the number of betting shops is set to continue. The relaxation of the Gaming Laws and the introduction of 4 gaming machines or FOBT's (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) allowed in each betting shop has resulted in a rapid expansion. Recently released figures from Ladbrokes reported gross win from gaming machines at an average of £677 per week. With over 8000 machines in it's 2,600 shops the betting giant's weekly gross win is close to £5.5 million or £280m a year.
Many London streets now have 5/6 shops in close proximity to each other. This does not reflect a sudden increase in the numbers of people interested in horse racing but the FOBT's are a real cash cow for bookmakers. Many of the young people now attracted in to betting shops and a world of gambling are those who mistakenly think that riches can be made from the gaming machines. These FOBT's were recently described as the "crack cocaine of gambling".
Sadly, the numbers of young people becoming addicted to gambling will increase markedly during the next few years destroying lives and relationships as surely as drugs and alcohol abuse. This is a timebomb waiting to blow up in our faces.
- David, HARROW
The drug dealers (bookies and govt) are not being penalised and are letting the druggies (gamblers addicted due to the mass publicity and addictive games available) wallow, sound fair?
- Sue, London
Just like those silly people who gambled on icelandic investments? oh, no they got here money back didnt they, (prob you PI Staker?)from the same government wiping people out with their lacklustre gambling laws to earn tax revenue where everywhere you look some sort of gambling is shoved in your face...
- Anon, London
These people are like you and me and are not silly, they have got suckered into the latest form of gambling that makes the govt huge amounts in tax. Bookmakers are springing up everywhere to entice people to go on these machines (most people only go there to play them and have some spare time and would normally have had a small flutter on a horse or the football but now they have been sucked in and have got addicted to these evil computer terminals) blame the scum that allow them in the first place.
- Tim, Yorks
Yep, the timebomb of the govt allowing fixed odds betting terminals in bookmakers is now starting to explode...These "fixed" machines where only the bookies and governments are ever going to be the winner are now screwing more of society with a massive rise in bokkmakers popping up on every street corner on the coutry we will need one of these addiction clinics on each street corner also to combat this disgusting and evil form of gambling. 250k problem gamblers my backside, just in London maybe....
- Dean, London
I do hope that no NHS money has gone into this as it would be a waste of money, the money for these projects should come from the gaming industry.
The government needs to make legal gambling harder, but they have made it so much easier, We have more betting shops on the high road who encourage people to stay on the premises. More gambling machines etc. the government are in the pockets of the gambling industry.
- Maggie, London
I am sorry Mr Staker feels like that. A very ignorant stance on such a severe problem. Compulsive gambling like any other addiction is an illness, progressive in its nature, which with the right help can be arrested. For those that suffer from this problem, it is a lifetime project. One has to remember that it is not only the addict that suffers, but friends and family as well suffer the consequences, but the most important thing is you have to realise you have a problem, to be able to accept help. I wish the new project being run every success and hope that it helps many people
- Richard, London
What a waste of NHS money, these silly people need to start taking responsibility for their own actions.
- P I Staker, London
