Gambling firms ‘should pay out’ for crimes fuelled by betting addiction
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Gambling addiction is to blame for one in seven crimes. Problem gambling is linked to assaults, street robberies, domestic violence, public disorder and child abuse. The commission suggests that gambling firms should be penalised through confiscation orders. It also suggests there is a lack of knowledge about the link between gambling addiction and crime. It points to a project in Cheshire where 99 out of 760 suspects arrested by police were found to need help or treatment for their addiction. There have been instances where banks have provided compensation. However, the commission points out that the banks did not scrutinise the source of the funds.
Gambling firms should pay out for crimes fuelled by betting addiction. Lord Goldsmith of Allerton is chairman of the Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling. The commission is the UK's first inquiry to focus on the links between problem gambling and crime. It includes experts in criminal justice, public health and the gambling sector. The panel has heard evidence from a wide range of witnesses. They include regulators, gambling companies, police, prison and probation workers, and academics. People whose lives have been ruined by gambling addiction have come forward to give evidence. Gifting addiction can drive crimes such as theft, fraud, street robbery, domestic abuse and even child neglect.
