How Cleaning Up shone a spotlight on female gambling
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When gritty ITV drama Cleaning Up hit TV screens in 2019, it became one of the only TV shows ever to shine a spotlight on the issue of female gambling.
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Created by writer Mark Marlow, the series highlights how online gambling companies target vulnerable women. Cleaning Up follows single mum Sam Cook (played by Sheridan Smith), whose harmful gambling habits have left her drowning in debt and facing a custody battle over her two daughters with her ex-husband, Dave (Matthew McNulty).
She is struggling to survive working as an office cleaner on a zero-hours contract at a financial company in London’s Canary Wharf. Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and Sam is drawn into the seedy world of insider trading.
Although she knows insider trading is against the law, Sam sees it as a victimless crime, and she asks her fellow cleaners, ‘Why should the greedy bastards get rich while we get shafted?’ as they vow to make (dirty) money beyond their wildest dreams.
Marlow said he was more interested in the problem of female than male gambling when creating the programme. And as part of his research, he spoke to some women who had overcome their issues with gambling. He revealed: ‘I needed to get into the skin of why women gamble as opposed to men,’ he told The Express.
Smith herself was also vocal about how important the topic was. She continued, ‘It was only when we started filming that I realised how many [bingo and casino] adverts were actually on TV. All the time, especially during the day. There are a lot of women who are struggling with debt and gambling. So, I think it’s a critical story to be told.’
Gambling and mental health
According to new research carried out by independent gambling charity GambleAware, up to one million women in Great Britain could currently be at risk of their gambling habit causing low self-esteem, stress, anxiety and depression.
On screen, Sam is in denial about the detrimental effect her gambling is having on her life, but it is clear to viewers that it causes her undue stress and anxiety. She is constantly worrying about how she will pay the bills every month and provide for her children and even takes in a lodger (Robert Emms) to try and make ends meet.
The charity also found gambling websites popular with women attracted 29% more traffic between December and March (Cleaning Up aired in January 2019). In addition, recent YouGov statistics reveal that women who gambled online in the last 12 months are more likely than their male counterparts to say they bet so they can fantasise about winning (28% vs 21% of men).
In Cleaning Up, Sam is glued to her mobile phone, hitting up the online slots and casinos at every given opportunity. She constantly fantasises about winning the jackpot, believing the money could take her away from her mundane working-class life.
In addition, GambleAware reports that 40% of women experiencing harm caused by gambling may not seek help due to stigma or shame such as feeling embarrassed or not wanting people to know about their gambling.
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Awareness and signs
In Cleaning Up, Sam exhibits the three critical warning signs to look out for when someone starts to experience the negative effects of gambling.
She constantly loses track of time and is often late for work, receiving a warning about timekeeping from her boss (Uriel Emil).
Sam is regularly spending more than she can afford and running up debts she cannot pay. Stuck in a dire situation and turns to crime as a result.
At first, Sam manages to keep the extent of her gambling habit a secret from her daughters Alice (Kristy Philipps) and Lily (Anya McKenna-Bruce) and her workmates Jess (Jade Anouka) and Mina (Branka Katić). Still, the extent of her problems is soon discovered by her nearest and dearest, and she is forced to attend a Gamblers Anonymous meeting – only to continue playing gambling games in secret.
For many people, gambling is not a harmful activity, but it can become a severe problem for some, as it did for Sam. Remember, prevention is preferable to treatment, so don’t be ashamed to speak up and get help.
If you or someone you know has been affected by the storyline in Cleaning Up, visit BeGambleAware today
