More than 420,000 British gamblers lose at least £2,000 a year, according to a major report that warns losses on the most addictive products are “strongly skewed” towards deprived areas.
The report lays bare the punishing losses incurred by the heaviest gamblers and raises “concern” at the low level of intervention by gambling companies to prevent them suffering harm.
Its findings sparked renewed calls for a government review of gambling regulations, due within days, to include tough affordability checks and stake limits on online slot machines, which allow punters to bet large sums on a single “spin”.
Researchers from the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and the University of Liverpool raised particular concerns…
