Bereaved parents of gambling addict slam UK Govt inaction

The parents of a young man who tragically took his own life after becoming addicted to gambling have strongly criticised the UK Government for failing to regulate the "predatory" betting industry.

Jack Ritchie was found dead in Vietnam at the age of 24 having developed an addiction to gambling as a young man that continued throughout university and into his working life.

An inquest into his death this month found gambling contributed to his suicide, saying that "warnings, information and treatment were woefully inadequate" and failed to meet his needs.

Commenting after the inquest result was handed down, Jack's mother, Liz Ritchie, described the betting industry as "parasitic" and accused the government of being "asleep at the wheel".

"We've seen it with tobacco - these are addictive products, that was the result of this inquest. So, we have to ask ourselves why the government is continuing to collude in the idea that we should be advertising products that so clearly kill our young people", she said.

Mr Ritchie's father Charlies added that there had been a "failure of government", saying "there's a very strong link which has been known for decades about the relationship between gambling and suicide."

The UK Government has promised to reform betting laws in the UK and was supposed to set out its plans for legislative change last year. A whitepaper on reform has now been delayed twice.

Last month, CARE CEO Ross Hendry issued a strong warning about the costs of procrastination, commenting:

“Tens-of-thousands of people are locked in betting addiction today. This manifests in depression, alcohol and drug use, debt, homelessness, unemployment, and even suicide. The government must recognise that lives are being ruined every day it fails to act.

“The sheer scale of harms results from our permissive laws, which fail to hold the betting industry to account and protect the most vulnerable. Ministers must publish their whitepaper now, allow parliament to do its work, and see the changes so many are asking for become a reality.”