Gambling addicts of all ages are building up debts

ONE IN SEVEN PEOPLE IN PLYMOUTH SAID TO BE AT RISK

- CLARE AINSWORTH

ONE in seven people in Plymouth are at risk of developing gambling problems, according to new figures.

The analysis comes as Citizens Advice Plymouth launches a drive to help people tackle gambling addiction amid the pressures of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

A survey published by the charity Gamble Aware found one in seven people in Plymouth were at risk of problem gambling, representing 14.1% of the city's population at an estimated cost to the local economy of £4.9 million.

The latest statistics show 44% of adults in Britain gambled at least once a month in an industry worth £14.1 billion per year (Gambling Commission), while a You Gov study quoted by Public Health England found that 13% of the population experienced some form of harm from their gambling.

Around two million people in Britain are experiencing the effects of gambling harm, including 300,000 people who are classed as pathological gamblers.

Around 55,000 children are problem gamblers with millions more at risk of harm as a result of someone else's gambling.