Gambling addiction is so bad for some Blackpool residents it has driven them to consider taking their lives, a new report has warned.
One person from the Lancashire town told researchers it was “terrifying” how you could get into so much debt and they got “so low” they thought about taking their own life.
Blackpool Council has agreed a four-year Gambing-Related Harm Strategy in a bid to tackle the issue which experts said had an impact on all aspects of a person’s life including their health and relationships.
Presenting the strategy to a meeting of Blackpool’s Health and Wellbeing Board, public health practitioner Helen Cook said it was important to ensure people were fully aware of the damage gambling can do.
Ms Cook said: “It can affect people from all walks of life.
“I have spoken to footballers who have been successful but lost all their money, and people who are unemployed who have lost all their money.
“For some people, gambling can destroy their lives.”
Citizens Advice in Blackpool saw a 28% increase in gambling-related harm for the under-25s in 2022, the report said, while the figure for gambling-related harm in all adults doubled from 2019 to 2022.
The charity estimates one-quarter of all its clients coming for debt advice would cite gambling as the reason for their financial difficulties.
The report added: “Those in recovery in Blackpool who spoke about their experiences described gambling as something that they could abstain from for a few weeks, but would easily fall back into the compulsion to place another bet, convincing themselves that it would be just one more go, ending with feeling of guilt, shame and anxiety.”
Support already available in Blackpool includes dedicated gambling support workers as part of The Lived Experience Team at the Empowerment charity.
Help is also available at Beacon Counselling Trust which is commissioned through GambleAware to offer online group and individual support.
Sources of support are also available via the BBC Action Line.
