Dorset law firm reports rise in women seeking advice with betting related issues
There are fears they're “hooked” by bingo style betting sites
A Dorset law firm has warned that betting companies are increasingly targeting women to maximise profits.
Paul Kanolik, a partner at Ellis Jones Solicitors, told us:
“Betting companies have lively seen a gap in the market because there has been a drive to target women with gambling adverts over the last few years. Some sites, apps and adverts are now quite feminised and clearly aimed at women.”
Legal representatives are dealing with rising numbers of women ‘hooked’ by bingo style betting sites and fear ‘lives are at stake’ due to gambling.
Mr Kanolik said:
“It’s not just people who are tragically taking their own lives, I have dealt with many cases which have resulted in severe mental health issues, divorce, as well as financial problems.”
The law firm has reached the £6 million milestone in losses regained for clients over the past seven years.
Often the claims relate to vulnerable gamblers who have been allowed to carry on betting by operators even when it was clear they were addicted or could not afford the amounts they were continuing to stake.
Approximately 90% of Ellis Jones’ cases are related to online betting, though the majority of clients are still men in a variety of age groups, although most commonly in their 30s and 40s.
Mr Kanolik said:
“Betting companies use clever tactics to target people for example they can see whether you've been accessing gambling sites and they will bombard those individuals with ads and offers when they go online or via social media.”
There are calls for businesses in the sector to do more to protect gamblers at risk of harm as well as for government to update existing legislation.
“The current legislation in relation to gambling dates back almost 20 years now,” Mr Kanolik said. “When that legislation was implemented, people weren't walking around with mobile casinos in their pockets.
“It has become so easy for people to deposit money and gamble online or through an app now. You can place bet 24/7 and that is a real problem.”