The number of gambling addicts has reached nearly half a million thanks to the liberal gaming laws, it was claimed yesterday.
Seventy-three per cent of the adult population have gambled in the past year compared with 68% in 2007, according to a survey by the Gambling Commission.
The number of problem gamblers has risen since 2007, when the Gambling Act was coming into force, from 0.6% of the population to 0.9% – or 451,000.
Tourism Minister John Penrose said: ‘The increase in problem gambling is a direct result of Labour’s reckless Gambling Act.
‘The Labour government liberalised gambling laws but failed to implement the safeguards needed to protect the public and as a result the number of problem gamblers has risen to almost half a million.’
The survey of 7,756 adults found that problem gamblers were more likely to be younger males who smoked, with parents who had experienced their own problems with gambling. The average debt for a problem gambler was around £17,500.
The British Gambling Prevalence survey revealed that 59% of adults bought national Lottery tickets in 2010, making it the most popular gambling activity.
The numbers who participated in another form of gambling from the national Lottery rose from 48 per cent in 2007 to 56% last year. Fourteen per cent of adults had used the internet to gamble in the past year.
The Coalition is planning tougher rules to curb internet gambling. Foreign firms could be banned from advertising their gambling services in the Uk, driving hundreds of them out of the country.
There could also be a ban on using credit cards for online gambling, which could cut the number getting into uncontrollable levels of debt because of their addiction.
Mr Penrose said: ‘We are looking into this urgently and will announce shortly measures to tackle it.’
