The proportion of young people in Great Britain with a gambling problem has more than doubled, according to “astonishing” official data that prompted calls for urgent government intervention.
New figures from the Gambling Commission, which regulates bookies, online casinos and the national lottery, revealed a shock rise, to 85,000, in the number of children classified as having a gambling problem under widely used diagnostic criteria.
Nearly one in 10 reported that gambling by family members had caused problems at home, while there was an increase in the number who said their own habit led them to lose sleep, skip school or miss homework.
About a quarter (27%) of young people aged 11 to 17 said they had gambled using their own money in…
