Last year 171 patients with a pathological gambling addiction had resorted to crime to pay for bets ALAMYA record number of gambling addicts were admitted to psychiatric hospitals for treatment last year, including dozens who turned to crime to fund their habit. There were 321 hospital admissions in England linked to gambling addiction last year, meaning that the figure has doubled in six years. The NHS estimates that more than 400,000 people in England have a gambling addiction, which means that their urge to bet is so intense that it interferes with their daily life and the lives of people close to them. It also estimates that two million people are at risk of developing a gambling problem. Claire Murdoch, the national mental health director for NHS England, said that gambling…

Source: The Times December 28, 2019 00:33 UTC