Addiction soars as online gambling hits £2bn mark

A huge increase in gambling addicts will make Britain's obsession with online betting a £2bn business. New evidence reveals that the number of people in danger of becoming problem gamblers has reached nearly a million, while hardcore addicts have doubled in six years to almost 500,000. MPs are considering legislation to try to reverse the trend, as online companies vie for bigger shares of the market with blanket advertising and introductory offers.

Key to the strategy which has led to some of the companies enjoying massive growth since online gambling was freed up by Tony Blair's government in 2005 is recruiting new consumers from middle-class professions and among women. Last Friday at Gloucester Crown Court, Jack Keylock, 22, from Cheltenham was jailed for 18 months. He resorted to burglary to pay debts run up while gambling online.

human behaviour is a jackass things isn't it

I love it :-* :-*

i can hear the argument:  should we deny the few responsible bettors for the majority whom we get addicted : : 

di'ze why we have addiction services. deh cyan go there an' get help.  we have added a surcharge everytime deh bet to pay for those services. 

we make dem pay for the addiction we put on them for our own great profits. 

I mean... if deh doh want to get addicted why deh allow gambling and let to grow so big as to be able  convince..often against their will.. that gabling where they have no chance of winning is right, good and proper..and to get addicted trying to win here they cant

sweet game mambling...almost as goog as banking
::LOL:: ::LOL:: ::LOL:: ::LOL::

I started gambling last year and I have made good money from it. I'm too tight to become an addict and start losing money. I set my limits and stick to it.

550,000 hardcore addicts, that's a lot!