That included people who have been spending time in betting shops to keep warm and people on universal credit and disability benefits gambling to make extra money to cover their bills.Īnna Hemmings, the chief executive officer at GamCare, said the challenges of the cost of living crisis were “particularly acute” for gambling addicts. GamCare said January 2023 was the month with its highest ever call volumes, with advisers regularly hearing reports of how the rising cost of living is affecting callers.
The YouGov survey of 4,202 adults commissioned by the charity also found that one in six people gambling at harmful levels had used a warm bank in the past 12 months compared with 5% of the general population, while half of parents who are problem gamblers were going without food or clean clothes to support children, compared with 20% of parents overall.
