#NHS

Harri, 24, from north Wales, has a gambling addiction. He spent his entire student loan and his friends' money on gambling. Jack Ritchie, a 24-year-old teacher, committed suicide because of his addiction to gambling, as discussed in the BBC Three documentary Gambling: A Game of Life and Death. Government is conducting a review of current gambling laws. It has been reported that the review will be delayed until a new Conservative leader is in place.

Stacey Goodwin lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in gambling. She tried to take her own life twice. Stacey is now three years clear of her addiction and working as an associate for charity The EPIC Restart Foundation. She has helped over 1,000 women struggling with their gambling addictions through social media. Her book 'The Girl Gambler' has five star ratings on Amazon.com. It is about her escape from gambling addiction. The book has been published last April. For more information on The Girl Gambler, visit The Gambling Addicts' Association. for more details, go to their website.

Ministers will publish a review of a 17-year-old gambling law. It will include a ban on free bets and VIP packages for gamblers who suffer big losses. Online casinos will have to take off features that increase the level of risk for customers. Public Health England found the overall cost of health harms caused by gambling was around £960 million. Suicide costs £619.2 million in England every year.

There is a rush of online casinos, some of them scam sites, but many legitimate. Security behind these sites is complex and tricky. The security challenges these websites face are discussed here. They are supposed to have the best security to keep fraudsters and hackers out while allowing regular customers in.

Ministers are to water down gambling reforms. They are expected to introduce a levy on betting giants and ban gambling sponsors from appearing on Premier League football shirts. The Daily Mail has long campaigned for action to curb gambling addiction. It ruins lives and costs the economy millions of pounds. There are an estimated 409 suicides linked to gambling in England every year. Sir Iain Duncan Smith will rebel on the issue. He is a member of the all-party parliamentary group for gambling-related harm. Last week, the Betting and Gaming Council warned a flat-rate levy would tip about a third of Britain’s casinos into loss and threaten nearly 3,000 jobs.

The UK government launched a review of gambling laws in 2020. The call for evidence concluded over a year ago. There are at least a third of a million problem gamblers in the UK, of which more than 50,000 are children. NHS announced it would set up 15 gambling treatment clinics across England and Wales.

Merkur Group’s UK subsidiary supports the next phase of the Mindful Resilience Programme launched by the Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust.

Walker's play Gamble is about her partner's gambling addiction. She organises coffee and cake mornings for people to share their stories. Matthew Gaskell, a psychologist and clinical lead on addiction for the NHS Northern Gambling Service, believes that addiction is stigmatised and that it is portrayed as harmless entertainment. Only 2 to 3% of people with gambling addictions come forward for support. The industry tries to distance themselves from its harms and shift the burden of responsibility on the individual players to protect its profits. It's a strategy that works. According to Gasell, addiction isn't a moral failing but a weakness of will.

Health Games has joined forces with Mirror readers to give Mirror users a free spin on their Champions Cup slot. Health Games offers more than 600 online games and slots with jackpots which just keep getting bigger and bigger. They match 20% of the first deposit and donate that sum to NHS Charities Together on behalf of their customers. There are also 30 brand new Daily Jackpot games with an average jackpot of over £10,000.

There are ways in which discipline helps you in gambling. The new casino Canada offers a variety of gambling options. It's important to be disciplined when gambling, because the outcomes will show the results.

Owain Flanders thinks an addiction levy for UK gambling firms would be hypocritical given the NHS rejected GambleAware cash.

The government launched a review of current laws in 2020. A white paper with the proposals is expected soon. The report from the Social Market Foundation makes the case for a new board funded by a statutory industry levy to oversee national efforts to reduce gambling-related harm. It should be compulsory, not voluntary. Remit of addiction work should also be broadened to encompass prevention. The government estimates that while the vast majority of England’s 24.5 million gamblers do not have a problem, 0. 5% of them do. Last year there was a 16.2% increase in referrals to the NHS for severe gambling issues.

UK Gambling Minister Chris Philp is calling for a gaming reform. He is responsible for the Gabbling Reform Rally organized by the APPG and Peers for G gambling Reform. PhilP is working on a white paper on the 2005 G betting act review. The report identified 409 gambling-related suicides a year. iGaming barely existed in 2005. New evidence points to a rise in gaming harm. Government introduced a ban on gambling using credit cards two years ago. It also announced a commitment to get 15 gambling clinics opened over the next couple of years.

GamStop is a self-exclusion software that prevents the gambler from indulging in any gambling pursuits for a selected period. It is available free of cost on all UKGC-licensed casinos. For most gambling transactions in the UK, PayPal is the most preferred software. Gamblers are allowed to possess PayPal Extras Mastercard or e-cards to allow transfers of large sums of money.

The British Gambling Commission has fined 888 £9.4m for negligence and failure to determine its customers’ betting capabilities. The fine is the third highest in the history of regulated gambling in Britain.

UK Gambling Commission has hit 888 UK Limited with a $12.6m fine.

888 UK Limited, which operates 78 websites including 888.com, has been fined £9.4 million for social responsibility and money laundering failings. The company will undergo extensive independent auditing. In 2017 they paid a £7.8 million penalty package for failing vulnerable customers. The fine is one of the largest imposed by the regulator to date. It is the second enforcement action for the 8 88 group.

Gambling addiction is an ongoing issue in markets across the world. In the UK, around 246,000 people suffer from compulsive gambling. The main avenue for support is through the National Health Service. From April 1, the NHS will no longer accept cash from GambleAware, a charity mainly funded through voluntary donations from the gambling industry.

Chris Philp, minister in charge of the Gambling Act Review, will speak at the 'Gambling Reform Rally' next month. Regulus Partners report claims that clandestine groups are lobbying for the final outcomes of a gambling review. The minister's decision to participate in the rally will deepen suspicion of partisanship in what was intended to be a balanced, evidence-based exercise. The Gabbling Commission and DCMS get to set the rules. By the time the Rally rolls around, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will have published its Delphi Study on ‘policies and interventions…to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm in England’

Jack Ritchie, 24, killed himself in November 2017. Liam McCarron, a Birmingham businessman, squandered the financial compensation he received from the NHS in his local bookies. Martin Paterson was left feeling like a zombie after getting hooked on betting machines.

The LOTTO returned last night with a staggering £11.8m jackpot. The Thunderball draw was followed by the Euromillions draw. A UK player won the top prize on Friday. Camelot is urging players to check their tickets to see if they are the jackpots winner.

Lisa Walker, 48, from Essex lost her family home after gambling addiction. She was introduced to gambling by her father and grandad. Gamble Aware is releasing a new campaign on harms prevention for women.

NHS is cutting all gambling industry funding for its addiction clinics. The decision is to be rubber-stamped this week. It comes amid mounting public health concerns and calls for gambling to have the same status as tobacco.

Andy Atha has been appointed as the new COO of AnonyMind. AnONYM provides online treatment for gambling problems. Andy brings his gaming industry experience to AnoneyMind, as well as his knowledge and healthcare technology insights from his most recent role as operations director at Push Doctor. AnoyMind has seen a 600% increase in registrations for its online therapy for problem gambling since Q3. Co-founder Andy Iddon believes Andy's experience will help them achieve their mission of supporting as many people as possible in overcoming gambling addiction and poor mental health.

600,000 more over-65s are gambling online at least once a month. Some of them are at high risk of developing a gambling disorder.

There is a huge £11.7m jackpot up for grabs in the Lottery Rolldown draw yesterday. The Thunderball numbers were also revealed last night. There are no draws on tonight.

Nobody won the top prize on Friday, so it rolls over to tonight's draw. Six players won a second prize of £138,366.60 on last Friday for matching five numbers and one lucky star.

Tonight's EuroMillions draw takes place between 8.30pm and 8:45pm. The top prize is £110m. No ticket holders won the £17m jackpot on Tuesday. Saturday's National Lottery jackpots is estimated at £7.5m after no-one scooped the top jack pot in Wednesday's draw.

The Set For Life draw has taken place. The numbers are 3, 29, 32, 38, 43 and a life ball of 4. Saturday's National Lottery jackpot is estimated at £7.5 million.

The EuroMillions took place on Friday with a huge £88m jackpot up for grabs. The winning numbers are 2, 9, 15, 47, 50, Lucky Stars are 6 and 9 and the Thunderball is 01.

Tomorrow's EuroMillions draw could see a jackpot of £76 million. The winning numbers for the Set For Life draw on Monday 8 were 3, 7, 19, 24, 35 and the Life Ball was 3.

The National Lottery's jackpot is £20 million tonight. The winning numbers are 3 7 21 29 34 and 39, and the bonus ball is 19.

Dr Rumi Chhapia, 45, of Southsea, Portsmouth, was jailed for three years and four months. He stole more than £1 million of NHS money to fund his online gambling addiction. Dr Chapha has since paid the company back £238,000 and the gambling companies agreed to repay £904,00. He remortgaged his home, sold his car and failed to pay his friends back.

Gambling has a long and storied history in Great Britain. After the Second World War, bingo halls grew in popularity and the Gambling Act of 2005 paved the way for casino-style resorts and internet betting. 47% of the British population gamble at least once per month. According to YouGov, 2.7% adults in Britain are problem gamblers. UKGC is trying to keep online gambling mainly an entertainment-based activity.

EUROMILLIONS returns tonight with a top prize of £46m up for the taking. The last two draws failed to produce a jackpot winner. Brits urged to get their tickets before 7.30pm sharp.

Gambling addiction is a serious problem in the UK. Gamstop is an online tool to help people curb the negative effects of gambling.  About 350,000 people in UK suffer from gambling addiction.

There is help available for people who are addicted to gambling. The first step is to have an honest conversation with the person. Showing support is of paramount importance. Encourage them to self-exclude from betting and gambling sites, venues and casinos. Businesses that make money from gambling have to cooperate and exclude someone who has requested them. Some banks will block gambling transactions on request. NHS recommend cognitive behavioural therapy for gambling addiction. GamCare has a 24-hour advice line and many other resources. Gambling addiction can lead to criminal behaviour and debt. It's not as easy to understand as other addictions.

Gambling industry in the UK is generating a profit of around £14.2bn in 2020. Public Health England estimates that gambling-related harms cost England at least £1.27bn ($1 billion) in 2019 and 2020, including bankruptcy, family issues, and health harms such as suicide.

Dad won £100 on a horse race on the last day of their holiday in Mablethorpe. Peter was in the arcade at the time. Dad had been given tips on horses and had already had five winners. He put £10 each way on horse running at 12 to 1.

GambleAware has announced the appointment of a Chief Commissioning Officer, Chief Communications Officer and Chief Operations Officer. Anna Hargrave will be joining as the new Chief Commissioner. Alexia Clifford will take on the role of Chief Communication Officer at GambleAaware. She is a former Marketing Director at Public Health England. She will help the charity to increase awareness and understanding of gambling harms. The new hires were made to meet the requirements and objectives laid out within Gamble Aware’s new five-year Organisational Strategy.

Island Youth Mental Health Census 2019 suggests young people on the Island may be vulnerable to anxiety and depression. The pandemic left young children with more time on their mobiles and devices. Gambling and gaming are becoming more popular. E-sports are also becoming popular, especially since the pandemics. YGAM is extending its reach to the Isle of Wight. It recognises the challenges the island faces. They are geographically isolated and socio-economically.

Video games are a source of employment and the start of lucrative careers for many. Video games transport an individual into a new reality and help attain game targets or goals. However, video games can be hard work as players have nowhere to escape from their realities.

Oxford academics used actual gameplay data from EA’s strategy game Plants vs Zombies and Nintendo's sandbox phenomenon Animal Crossing in their experiment. They found that those who spend more time gaming reported a significant increase in well-being. 75% of U.S. households have at least one gamer.

Craig Walding lost £40,000 in a month playing online casino games. He lost half of that in one night. NHS worker had to take out payday loans and borrow money from friends and family. Now he is recovering after being treated by Cardiff-based support service Footsteps to Recovery. He is preparing for a charity boxing match to raise money for those who saved him. The match is taking place in Cardiff on Saturday. For more information, visit Foot Steps to recovery.org.uk. It is a support group for people who have struggled with addiction to gambling. Craig lost all control over his gambling after the Covid pandemic.

Report suggests mandatory betting limits and deposit limits for online slot games in Great Britain.

Super Group will combine with Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corp and apply to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'SGHC'. LeoVegas will appeal a warning and SEK 2m penalty from Swedish Gambling Authority. GambleAware released its five-year organisational strategy. The effect of COVID-19 is devastating. It is based on Money Laundering Act. According to the Act, the ceiling for this type of infringement is €1m.

Monzo calls for mandatory gambling blocks on all UK bank accounts. Monzo was the first bank to launch a gambling block in June 2018. Research found 28 million current account holders in the UK may not have access to a block. Many gambling firms are offering new payment methods, including bank transfers. As it stands, banks can't access the data needed to prevent direct payments. Monzoo is working on a pilot project to introduce gambling access blocks.

Betty's online gambling habit spiralled out of control and she lost 'thousands every week' from Scarlett's account. Betty took money from the account in 'sheer desperation' and left Scarlett 'horrified' when she didn't win the money back. Scarlett is now helping Betty get therapy. The family left Gogglebox in 2016 after Scarlett appeared on I'm A Celebrity and won. Scarlett was paid £240,000 dividend in October 2020. She also paid off her parents' mortgage. In 2019, the Moffatts took part in a controversial TV show called The British Tribe Next Door.

HealthGames.co.uk is hosting a National Christmas Bingo Tournament from December 20-23. The tournament will be held in three online bingo rooms: Oh Deer!, Tree Lines and Jingle Bells.