Weymouth Man Who Lost £250k to Gambling

A man from Weymouth who lost hundreds of thousands to gambling is urging others to seek help.

It’s feared 1.4 million people are at risk from ‘gambling harms’ in the UK. Gambling has soared back to pre-pandemic levels recently.

Alex Macey is a former cop who spent most of his salary on gambling. He said:

“I was in a cycle of payday gambling. Joined the police when I was 2, got a better wage, the gambling went up.

“Getting my wages, gambling it on the machines, at the bookies, and online as well.

“So I went through that cycle and it’s quite a solitary sad existence.”

A new campaign that encourages adults to contact The National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS) for a range of free, anonymous support services to combat gambling problems.

57% of people struggling with gambling admit that they need help tackling their gambling-related issues. Last year alone, the NGTS helped over 8,500 individuals, however, GambleAware believes that over 160 times more people could benefit from accessing treatment.

The campaign coincides with the publication of new data from GambleAware’s annual Treatment and Support Survey, which highlights both the significant and varied impact gambling has on people across Great Britain, as well as some of the motivations for accessing help.

23.3% signal that concern regarding their mental health is the main factor for seeking support to tackle a gambling-related issue, with 21% saying that anxiety over finances is the motivation for them to pursue support.

Alex stifled his addiction five years ago. He’s since lobbied MPs to make sure more is done to improve people’s rights to ‘self-exclude’ from gambling companies, effectively barring themselves from their service.

If you require support for gambling more details can be found by clicking here.