Gambling
Gambling-related vulnerability affects a client’s decision-making and can lead to poor outcomes.
Clients affected by harmful gambling may lack perspective and have low interest in anything apart from gambling. They may take excessive risks and make poor judgements. With this comes heightened stress and anxiety.
They may experience related conditions such as mental health, alcohol or drug problems. This leaves them vulnerable to over-indebtedness, arrears and problem debt. They may risk repossession of their property. They can end up with reduced access to financial services or be excluded. This can leave them open to being victims of fraud, scams or financial abuse.
The Gambling Commission runs the National Gambling Helpline (tel: 0808 802 0133). Its website has tools to manage gambling activity and lists free multi-operator and national self-exclusion schemes (see ).