Wife of problem gambler pleads with UK government to suspend free bets

The government is preparing to take on its most ambitious re-regulation of the gambling industry in the United Kingdom to date. In light of this, there have been calls from multiple parties to either ease up on the planned regulations or double down on them. The widow of a problem gambler from Leicester who killed himself over a gambling debt, though, wants the government to make sure that her tragedy never repeats itself in another family.

Annie Ashton, the widow of Luke Ashton, has been on a mission to convince the government to act so that those at risk of problem gambling, and its most extreme manifestations, are protected from harm. Annie’s petition has already been signed by 70,000 who have called on gambling minister Chris Philip to take it into consideration. The upcoming regulation of the Gambling Act 2005 has been necessitated by the fairly dated form of the original law, which fails to account for the proliferation of online gambling.

"If the gambling laws had changed to make gambling safer sooner, Luke and hundreds of others would be alive today," Annie said in commenting on what her initiative was all about. A life is lost daily, she argued, for as long as the anticipated white paper continues to be delayed. One of the focal points of her criticism is the so-called free bets which have been luring people to gamble. It’s precisely what Annie wants the government to address.

The review of the existing gambling laws has been going on for more than two years now. The government has confirmed that it’s considering every public input, including the petition signed by Annie and 70,000 other people, which has been dubbed "Luke’s Law."

Commenting on this tragedy and the ongoing efforts to regulate the industry so that it protects more people, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport said that the government remained committed to its ultimate task to protect problem and at-risk gamblers.

"We are undertaking the most comprehensive review of gambling laws in 15 years to ensure they are fit for the digital age," a spokesperson said. It has been confirmed that the white paper should be arriving within the next several weeks, but whether it will offer actionable solutions to avert tragedies such as Annie’s husband’s remains to be seen. She is hopeful.

Image credit: Gov.uk