A LOCAL father who lost his son to suicide as a result of a serious gambling addiction fears some people may be forced to turn to desperate measures as the cost-of-living crisis rolls on.
With families and residents feeling the pressure, fears are high that some people may turn to gambling in a bid to help with their financial woes, potentially leading to serious addiction issues.
Pete and Sadie Keogh lost their son Lewis to suicide in 2013. They later discovered that he had battling an addiction to gambling and they’ve been campaigning on the issue since his death.
Mr Keogh fears some people may turn to gambling, following on from the Christmas expenditure.
“It will be a temptation,” Mr Keogh told the ‘Herald.
“It would be on guys minds who have spent a lot of money over Christmas and they think that they need something to tide them through to January 31, if they’re in paid employment.”
Following Lewis’s death, the bereaved couple set up charity group, ‘Gambling with Lives’.
It provides counselling and support talks to local groups in a bid to raise awareness about gambling, as well as lobbying and campaigning to governments for changes to legislation.
The Enniskillen couple will meet with Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, in Westminster, later this month.
One of the issues that they’re keen to raise is the number of pro-gambling advertising campaigns which are visible at Premier League stadiums, with matches shown live on TV on Sky Sports.
“They’re just running around the ground all the time. The Premier League hasn’t done enough and there has been multiple appeals, including from government,” Mr Keogh explained.
“The fact of the matter is that there’s a dependency in getting money in. The bookmakers get money in from people who are vulnerable and like to spend their money.
“For those who it is harmless fun today, might find out in 12 months time that it’s a lot more than harmless fun to them. It could become a serious obsession.”
The UK Government recently introduced new measures in a bid to reduce online gambling on slot machines after a huge rise in addiction since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Keogh believes that a lot more needs to be done to raise awareness of gambling.
“We have Declan [Cregan] who goes around the schools. I get him down as often as I can and he’s been around most of the schools in Enniskillen,” Mr Keogh said.
“If you put 40 people in a room, you can pick out the guy who is sitting bolt upright. You know that he has a problem, or his dad or brother has a problem with gambling.
“There are few winners who can say that they done well through gambling. There will be the odd exception and you’ll be fairly sure that they will tell you more about their wins, than their losses.”
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