NEED TO KNOW
-
Ellen Mulvey’s family is advocating for stricter regulations on gambling platforms after her death was linked to addiction
-
Mulvey’s partner and family highlighted the stigma surrounding gambling addiction and its impact on seeking help
-
The family’s lawyer called for government action against predatory gambling sites targeting vulnerable individuals
The family of a U.K. woman who died by suicide is calling for stricter regulations of online gambling platforms after her undiagnosed addiction was listed as a contributing factor in her death.
Macclesfield, Cheshire, resident Ellen Mulvey, 44, had a “long history” of gambling, according to the BBC. Although she signed up for apps meant to stop her from logging into gambling platforms, she was still able to access some online games. Her gambling-related transactions were hundreds of thousands of pounds, and her bank account was nearly empty when she died, per the outlet.
An investigation into her November suicide listed an undiagnosed severe gambling disorder as contributing to her death, the BBC reports. Mulvey also left a note to her partner Deanne Tomkins saying, “I have lied, I have an addiction. Thought I had sorted but recently it got worse.”
Her family didn’t expect to see addiction listed as an official contributing factor.
“To have that on the death certificate would mean that we can raise greater awareness,” Mulvey’s sister, Katie Styring, told This Morning during a May 12 appearance on the ITV show, explaining that the documentation allowed them to say, ” ‘Look, we’ve got that data now. You know, we’ve we’ve got another death that’s caused by gambling.’ “
“It felt like it should have been a success on one hand and then, on the other hand, we heard the coroner say that and my heart just sank — actually I don’t want to hear that because it’s not going to bring Ellen back,” Styring said.
“In terms of the bigger picture and what can be done now going forward, hopefully that will help other people and and hopefully change is on the way.”
The intense stigma of Mulvey’s gambling disorder made her keep it a secret — even after her partner Tomkins discovered her using a roulette app. Tomkins told This Morning that she reassured Mulvey, telling her, “‘If you are [gambling] it’s okay. I’ll stick by you, you know, and we can get through it.’ And her answer to me was, ‘See, I would tell you if I was gambling because you’re telling me you would stick by me.’ “
“Even then,” Tomkins said, “that whole stigma and shame, she still felt that she couldn’t say.”
Stock image of someone using a gambling app
Credit: Getty
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The family’s lawyer, Dan Webster, shared that there is a severe need for government intervention to stop these predatory sites, about which he said “their whole business model really is premised on targeting people like Ellen” who had tried to block herself from accessing these apps.
“It’s a very significant public health issue,” Webster said. “There’s clearly a need for, I think, a more systemic approach that actually prevents these platforms from being able to advertise and target people in the way that they are.”
As Tomkins explained, “This isn’t about willpower. These products are designed to be highly addictive and unfortunately it targets the brain’s reward system.” She elaborated to the BBC, saying, “”It was something that took hold of her because that is what it is designed designed to do … It made her feel like she had failed.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
Read the original article on People