Woman loses half of wedding money on wedding night due to gambling addiction
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1 Dec 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Elissa Hubbard, a 38-year-old woman from Rhyl, Denbighshire, told the BBC how her gambling addiction has affected her life. On her wedding day in 2021, she secretly lost half the money she and her wife had received as a wedding present. It marked a low point in a years-long battle with an addiction that has cost her more than £40,000 a year.
Elissa, who has been playing slots since she was nine, says her addiction really spiralled out of control when she discovered online gambling. At the height of her addiction, even a free spins promotion could tempt her into gambling away her entire monthly wage. “I had no self-respect,” she says. “It had stripped me of my personality. I felt like such a failure.”
Criticism of gambling companies and social impact
Elissa is sharply critical of the way gambling companies run promotions. “If you want to gamble, you’re going to do it anyway,” she says. “You don’t need a dealer pushing a promotion into your hand.” She also notes the pervasiveness of gambling adverts and warns of the clustering of gambling venues in poorer neighbourhoods.
Analysis by BBC Wales found that 71 gambling venues are in the 10% most deprived areas of Wales, compared with just eight in the 10% least deprived areas. Elissa sees this as a worrying trend: “People on lower incomes are trying to gamble to make more money. But there are just too many gambling venues in one area.”
Psychologist stresses the urgency of the situation
Dr Jamie Torrance, a researcher at Swansea University, says the clustering of gambling shops in poor neighbourhoods is a major problem. He says financial hardship and unemployment significantly increase the risk of gambling addiction. He criticises the seductive marketing strategies of gambling companies: “You never see people losing money in those adverts. It’s always luck, excitement and winning.”
Dr Torrance advocates for specialist NHS clinics in Wales to treat gambling addiction, similar to those already in place in England. “The only difference between gambling addicts in Wales and England is that they don’t have access to these clinics here,” he says.
Political backlash and calls for reform
Senedd member Darren Millar, chair of the Gambling Harm Working Group, accused bookmakers of “fuelling” addiction. “Unfortunately, poorer communities are often more affected by gambling problems,” he says. “Many companies are taking advantage of this by putting gambling venues in these areas. This is completely unacceptable.”
The Welsh Government has said it is working to improve support for people with gambling addiction. It is backing comprehensive reform of the gambling industry, with tighter regulation and better protection from harm.
Industry response
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) says its members offer robust self-exclusion programmes. A spokesperson points out that 22.5 million people in the UK gamble every month and that the vast majority do so safely and responsibly. “Betting and gaming businesses, like other retailers, are located in high-traffic areas such as high streets and play an important role in the local economy,” the BGC said.