According to the Gambling Commission, 41% of women and 48% of men have gambled in the last four weeks, yet only 0.8% of people aged 16 or older identify themselves as problem gamblers.
These days gambling is a large part of society and it can be difficult to know when this behavior becomes a problem. Many people play purely for entertainment, some for the thrill of winning, others for a little escape – and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when it gets out of hand it can cause more harm than good.
When people start to use gambling as a way to escape from other problems, often these issues become worse. Of course, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away, and unfortunately, gambling is a very expensive habit.
What started as a form of entertainment can sometimes end up a big problem.