Delamere addiction specialist voices concern over rising cost of living
The cost of living crisis could push more people to gamble compulsively, claims Martin Preston, an addiction specialist at private rehab centre Delamere.
The clinic, located in Cheshire, cited figures from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) which identified a rise in gambling among Britons, as well as gambling spend by under-35s.
Consequently, Preston voiced concerns that this increase may be linked to the rising cost of living.
“Often, debt will become increasingly worse as those who are already struggling financially will continue to bet to try and win back the money they have lost,” said Preston.
“Amid the rising cost of living, with bills increasing rapidly, those with financial problems may find themselves gambling more than they have ever done before, to generate a higher income.”
Preston went on to offer advice about how to identify the signs of gambling addiction and offered tips on how to treat it.
His advice regarding treatment centred around confronting the problem head on and seeking support from others such as family, friends and health professionals.
He remarked: “Gambling is an extremely complicated problem. The biggest issue here is that people can gamble quietly in the comfort of their own homes which means in many cases, their friends and family won’t realise they are doing it.”
Furthermore, Preston said gambling addicts often take longer to seek help than other groups.
“Yet those who struggle with problem gambling often suffer in silence,” he added, “and our specialists at Delamere have found that gamblers are one of the groups who often do not reach out until their situation reaches breaking point.”
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