Campaigners have claimed that almost 4% of Wales residents are at risk of being affected by gambling’s negative effects, so free help should be provided during the nationwide lockdown for those who suffer from gambling addiction.
Everyone has been affected by the impact of the coronavirus lockdown in the UK, but campaigners say that people battling “hidden addictions” are the ones who most struggle to deal with the negative effects of the social distancing measures. Gambling addictions have been considered part of the so-called “hidden addictions” because people are often facing it without showing any signs they have such a problem, so the fact they find it hard to control their gambling habits often remains unknown. What is worse, in many cases, the problem only comes to light once a critical level has been reached.
British anti-gambling campaigners have previously shared fears that the coronavirus lockdown would lead to an increase in the gambling addiction rates in the country, as the stay-at-home measures and the lengthy social isolation could trigger both boredom and anxiety, which could push vulnerable individuals to uncontrollable gambling online.
For the time being, just over 1% of the Welsh residents are identified as problem gamblers, while almost 4% of them are considered to be at risk of developing an addiction to gambling. However, campaigners claim that the problem is bigger and do not affect only individuals who are labelled as gambling addicts.
ARA Partners with GamCare and the National Gambling Treatment Service to Protect Gambling Addicts in Wales
As explained by anti-gambling campaigners and organisations that are focused on helping people with gambling issues, problem gambling does not only affect the ones who gamble but many more people. According to estimates, gambling addiction usually affects around 15 people associated with one gambler, with these figures being constantly on the rise.
The Addiction Recovery Agency (ARA), a local charity aimed at providing professional counselling to problem gamblers, revealed that it has helped more than 40,000 people facing gambling, alcohol, drug and mental health issues in Wales and the South West since its establishment. Now, the charity organisation works in collaboration with the National Gambling Treatment Service and is also a partner of the largest gambling support provider in the UK, GamCare.
Even with the social distancing measures in place, ARA offers one-to-one counselling sessions online or over the phone, as it finds it important to provide support to everyone who might need it in times when online gambling participation rates have been on the rise.
Counsellors, who work at ARA, have reminded that their services could help people to better manage their gambling habits and the issues that make them gamble extensively on the Internet during the lockdown. Counselling services are also available to relatives and friends of problem gamblers in Wales.
- Author
Daniel Williams
