Editing Bereaved Mum Backs Calls For Gambling Regulation

<br>4 February 2026<br>ShareSave<br><br><br>Helen CattPolitical Editor, BBC South East<br><br><br>A mother whose child took his own life after ending up being addicted to betting is backing calls from MPs to deal with the [https://cac5.altervista.org/index.php?title=Utente:MichalePulleine practice] as a [https://pediascape.science/wiki/User:Clarita49I public health] risk.<br><br><br>Lesley Wade, from [https://vreditelstop.ru/question/the-bet-9ja-promotion-code-2026-is-yohaig Minster] on the Isle of Sheppey, lost her "family orientated" and "fun" son Aaron Armstrong aged 30 in 2014.<br><br><br>She said it had actually taken her several years to comprehend that addiction suggested "the onus wasn't all on him" to stop gambling.<br><br><br>The [https://rentandsells.com/author/marylynedden2/ Betting] and Gaming Council (BGC), the [https://silatdating.com/@olliebrotherto primary] market body, stated the "overwhelming majority" of [https://ekarange.com/the-bet-naija-promotion-code-for-2026-is-yohaig/ individuals] who gamble do so "securely and responsibly".<br><br><br>'All gone'<br><br><br>Armstrong, who worked as a scaffolder, played in a pool league and was an eager golf [https://learnhub.greellc.com/@earlkimbrough?page=about enthusiast].<br><br><br>He also loved football, frequently banking on matches.<br><br><br>She stated her child progressively started to ask her for money in 2013.<br><br><br>"I had not admitted to myself the amount of cash he was asking me for at various times," she stated.<br><br><br>She [http://yukimotoratv.com/blog/another-blog-post remembered] one event when it was his turn to spend for a Friday early [http://michael-resing.de/index.php?title=Benutzer:PaulaMcLucas7 morning breakfast] he regularly had with friends.<br><br><br>Wade stated: "He sounded me up and asked me if I might transfer some cash to spend for the breakfast.<br><br><br>"He 'd simply been paid that [https://websiteqr.com/louveniani morning] and he had no money in his [https://cristoforoprodan.xyz/index.php/User:ShirleenHain83 account]. It was all gone."<br><br><br>She said she now thinks he had actually been sitting on the scaffolding, gambling on his phone.<br><br><br>Armstrong's relationship with his partner broke down and he was asked to leave his flat.<br><br><br>The scaffolder went on to seek help however, in 2014, he took his own life.<br><br><br>After her boy's death, Wade found a variety of e-mails from betting firms providing incentives such as funded trips to see his preferred football group.<br><br><br>She said: "I discovered that he had an offer of a totally free bet for ₤ 1,000 and I believed we 'd disallowed him from all the websites. There were lots of  but that's the one that actually stood out."<br> <br><br>Public health problem<br><br><br>Wade later on met Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Kevin McKenna, who has actually given that made marketing on betting damages a concern.<br><br><br>He is now one of a number of MPs, consisting of Worthing West's Dr Beccy Cooper, who are campaigning for a change in how society - and the government - techniques gambling.<br><br><br>McKenna stated there were about 500 deaths by suicide associated to gambling a year in the nation.<br><br><br>"If it was anything else we 'd be taking a look at it as a public health issue," he added.<br><br><br>It would shift the focus from specific obligation to recognising it as a danger to the broader population as a whole.<br><br><br>Treating it as a public health concern could include actions like greater policy of gambling advertising and removing the most addicting products.<br><br><br>The Betting and Gaming Council said the "overwhelming bulk" of the 22.5 million people who bet in Britain did so "safely" and "properly".<br><br><br>According to a Gambling Commission report in 2024, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 2.7% of adults said they had a gaming issue.<br><br><br>The Conservative government launched an evaluation of gambling guideline in 2023.<br><br><br>In 2025, the Gambling Commission provided individuals the right to more control over the direct marketing they get from betting companies and presented maximum stakes on online fruit machine.<br><br><br>A federal government spokesperson stated it was "acutely aware" of the effect damaging betting can have and said it was "devoted to enhancing securities to protect those at risk".<br><br><br>It presented the statutory gambling levy which it described as a "major favorable action".<br><br><br>This puts a compulsory charge on licensed betting operators which will be utilized to fund support and research into betting addiction.<br><br><br>'Bit of enjoyable'<br><br><br>Wade is now part of Gambling With Lives, a group formed by other bereaved moms and dads that provides assistance to households, and campaigns to reform gambling laws.<br><br><br>Chair Charles Ritchie said many of its members had lost somebody "very regular, happy, popular" who had actually "participated in betting thinking it was a bit of fun".<br><br><br>"That's what we're all told and after that when you enter problem you're effectively informed it's your fault and households hear that also," he stated.<br><br><br>He accused the industry of promoting a story that it is "something incorrect with the person, a weak point or flaw in their character".<br><br><br>Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. 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