Martin Paterson is calling on the UK Government to get rid of gambling advertising - as has happened with tobacco - as well as introduce stricter stake limits on online slot machines
Martin Paterson from Coatbridge admitted to once stealing money from his late son to fund his gambling addiction
For 40-plus years, he was addicted to chasing the next win, but even when wins came, the shame of being seen as a gambler meant he would never declare it. He’d take the next day off work and gamble it all again.But while Paterson admits he feels guilt and shame for the cycle he got into, he knows it’s not all his fault.
At football matches, the marketing is inescapable, with adverts for betting companies on players’ shirts and all around stadiums, but you’re much less likely to see this saturation at golf tournaments or rugby union matches. The maximum stake on FOBTs is currently £2 – reduced from £100 in 2019 - but online slot machines are unlimited despite carrying some of the highest rates of addiction for any gambling product.
He said: “I don’t enjoy watching football. I’ve got a thing with my grandson where every time we see a gambling advert we say ‘f*** sake not another one’. Paterson said: “The white paper is now [being called] the wet paper, [because] it’s been kicked into the long grass.“The wet paper is talking about a stake [for online slot machines] of between £2 and £15 which is unbelievable.“I’ll always feel a certain amount of guilt and shame, but I know it’s not all my fault. This is a public health issue, the same way as tobacco was. It’s a tragic mental health crisis.
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