The mum, who remains anonymous, said she was addicted for 10 years
Wirral Council is looking to tackle gambling addiction problems in the borough in a new report(Image: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire)
A Wirral mum’s “fun hobby” quickly left her life spiralling out of control to the point she went to prison. Wirral Council has published ahead of an adult social care and public health committee on June 10 a new strategy to tackle issues caused by gambling addiction in the borough.
A report brought before councillors said it was a hidden problem that can lead to hardship, mental health problems, relationships breaking down, crime, and suicidal ideation highlighting the case of one woman who struggled for years.
The council report said: “This strategy is the first of its kind for Wirral and outlines plans to adopt a public health approach that prioritises harm reduction, prevention, early intervention, and support for those affected by gambling-related harms. Whilst many people gamble safely, in recent years, there has been growing awareness of the preventable harms caused by gambling industry products and practices, both at the national and local levels.”
Wirral Council going forward will look to tackle the issue working with partner organisations. Across the UK, those experiencing gambling addition are more likely to attempt suicide with an average of one suicide a day linked to gambling.
While the policy said data about gambling on the Wirral was limited, estimates based on national data suggest problem gambling is lower across the borough. However the council report said gambling related harms often went unreported due to shame and stigma.
The number of licensed betting premises has gone from 61 to 27 between 2018 and 2024 but most of these are still in the most deprived areas. A map shows many of these are clustered in the Birkenhead and Wallasey areas.
The council said there was clear evidence gambling was negatively affecting people and outlines a number of aims to reduce harm. This includes working with charities, schools, licensing and tourism departments in the council, and linking up support.
The report added: “It’s very important that we get this balance right, between protecting people from the potentially life ruining effects of gambling-related harm, while respecting the freedom of adults to engage in a legitimate leisure activity.”
One person is Liz, a 35 year old Wirral mum who was addicted to gambling for 10 years. The mum, who is anonymised under a pseudonym in the council report, said it “started as a fun hobby and source of entertainment.”
However what started as a football bet or Birkenhead bingo later led to online gambling. As she was getting charged via her phone contract, the money going out of her account “felt almost invisible and unseen to her.”
The woman, who also suffered domestic abuse, “would spend all of her money from her wages on gambling as soon as she was paid. She spoke about how over time her gambling addiction “spiralled out of control”. It became part of every moment of her life.”
She told the council: ““I would be lying in bed at night next to my husband, with my phone on silent mode. I would be gambling until 4am […] The only reason I would stop was because I ran out of money, which to be honest, was actually always a relief.”
She said: “At one point in my addiction I could put £2,000 on a spin and was able to do that every 20 seconds,” adding: “I got myself into a real mess with money […] and would be taking out payday loans to fund my addiction.”
To then finance this addition, Liz then got involved in crime stealing £323,000 from her former workplace. She said she did this with the intention of paying it back when she won.
The council report said: “She was arrested, charged and went to court, receiving a custodial sentence of two and a half years for stealing money. She went to prison in 2018/19, where she served one year of the sentence.
“While in prison she gave birth to her son who is now six years old. It was then that she realised that she had to get her life back on track. She started working with a trust while she was still in prison which supported her to get a degree.”
Now out of prison, the council report said she now works supporting people dealing with gambling addictions.