Murdoch states: “The opening of two new gambling clinics in May, as a part of our £2.3bn ($3.14bn) investment into mental health services, will mean we can help even more people with the most serious gambling problems.
Murdoch also claims it is “absolutely right that the NHS now funds these clinics independently, recognising the harmful effects this addiction can have on the nation’s mental health, and that predatory tactics from gambling companies are part of the problem, not the solution.”
The cut of gambling sector funds comes following negative feedback from patients and clinicians, who have noted a ‘conflict of interest’ from an industry which has made profits of over £14bn a year funding addiction support in the UK.
The NHS claims patient outcomes using gambling sector funds has been poor, too. It cites an increase of 16.2% in those seeking support in 2021 from the same period in 2020.
A specific, location-targeted approach to gambling addiction will also be employed by the NHS, which notes the highest prevalence of at-risk gamblers are from the North, ‘with 4.4% of adults in the North West and 4.9% in the North East being at the most risk of addiction.’
One such person is Nick Firth (31) from West Yorkshire, who spoke to the NHS on his 12-year gambling addiction struggles.
He claims: “Gambling addiction took over my life...[but] the team at the NHS gambling addiction service have helped completely turn my life around.”
Murdoch believes gambling companies should improve odds for those suffering with addiction, arguing the continued offering of VIP packages and live streams is detrimental for addiction sufferers.
