Man dies after being solicited by illegal gambling sites

A man took his own life because of his gambling habit, which was fueled by illegal gambling websites, a coroner concluded, wrapping up the investigation into the 36-year-old Liverpool sports fan whose gambling addiction overwhelmed him.

According to investigators, the victim, Oliver Long, was suffering from a severe case of gambling addiction that led to his death in February 2024. Long died by suicide after he continued to gamble with illegal operators who had targeted him.

A tragedy that should serve as a wake-up call

Even though he had self-excluded from all regulated gambling in the United Kingdom through the GamStop self-exclusion scheme, overseas operators continually targeted him by extending bonuses and inviting him to gamble. In a single month in 2023, Long is said to have transferred £20,000 from his bank account.

Long left a suicide note, saying he felt overwhelmed by his gambling addiction, that it had made him "a bad person," and that he did not want to be that person, concluding that he did not want to be "a burden to anyone."

During the inquest, Long’s sister, Chloe, argued her brother’s case and highlighted the threat posed by offshore gambling websites that specifically target vulnerable consumers. She argued that the sites were not harmless, but rather addictive and predatory business models designed to exploit vulnerabilities.

"They stole from Ollie — not only his money, but his peace, his future, and ultimately, his life," she added. Evidence was also presented by Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller, who testified at the inquest in East Sussex and argued that Long had indeed fallen victim to a highly predatory model.

Not on GamStop — a business built to hurt

While his sister confirmed that he tried to stop gambling on several occasions, he ultimately ended up unable to do so, not least because of websites that were specifically designed to target people who were vulnerable to gambling.

Miller told the court about the "Not on GamStop" websites, a form of internet-optimised search result intended to target people who were excluded from gambling locally in the United Kingdom but were still trying to access gambling services.

This is where illegal operators came in. He said these websites were deliberate in their intent to target vulnerable consumers, and that Long’s story was no different. The UK Gambling Commission has removed at least 81,000 URLs linked to illegal gambling sites, many of which specifically advertised themselves as "Not on GamStop."

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