A gambling addict blames a bookmaker for not helping him stop gambling

A man who racked up about $85,000 in gambling debts between 2012 and 2019 says his bookie didn’t help him stop gambling.

The drama of this addict, with the fictitious name of Mathew, is aggravated because he believes that they should have intervened in the face of his signs of distress. The Gaming Commission has rules that say operators must spot problem gamblers and act accordingly.

Also read: Online betting: they grow as entertainment but with little security for users

His case against bookmaker William Hill moved forward, according to the BBC story, because the company should have done more to help him.

A gambling addict claims his bookie didn’t help him stop gambling. (Photo: BBC.com)

Although William Hill said they found no deficiencies in the procedures, it had already been fined seven million dollars in 2018 for similar situations.

A gambling addict and the responsibility of bookmakers

“On reflection, life was a blur, I have a hard time remembering much of the last decade, apart from some extremely dark thoughts. I was not focused on the family and the people closest to me, ”he declared in the Radio 4 documentary“ Desperate Calls ”(desperate calls).

In his calls with the bookmaker, Matthew was angry and upset, and that’s where he should have been stopped from playing.

Matthew is a teacher and has three children. He started betting small on big sporting events, but then moved on to online accounts and free bets, which grew to try to recoup losses. He came to bet his entire salary on the day he was paid, and he did not have to pay the bills. “Quickly, life was revolving around the game,” he declared.

A gambling addict claims his bookie didn’t help him stop gambling. (Photo: BBC.com)

When he emailed to “self-exclude”, the staff allowed him to continue playing. “We carried out a thorough investigation into our management and did not identify deficiencies in our safer gaming procedures in relation to account requirements during the period in question,” the company said.

“Without significant change, there will be many more who will fall into the traps like I did. More lives destroyed, more families and friendships ruined, and more lives lost,” she said.