What happens inside the brain of a gambling addict when they make a bet - and can the secret to their addiction be found within the brain itself? BBC Panorama filmed a unique experiment designed to find out.
Wendy Bendel's partner killed himself after struggling with a 20-year gambling addiction. In a confession he wrote for Wendy he singled out the high-stakes, high-frequency fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) found in bookmakers across the UK. These machines offer gamblers a choice of games, and combine potentially high stakes with the chance of a win every 20 seconds.
Join Wendy on tonight's Panorama, as she seeks to find out why these machines can be so addictive, and are so controversial.
Panorama - Why are Gambling Machines Addictive? is broadcast on BBC One on Monday 12 September at 20:30. Catch up on BBC iPlayer
Wendy Bendel's partner killed himself after struggling with a 20-year gambling addiction. In a confession he wrote for Wendy he singled out the high-stakes, high-frequency fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) found in bookmakers across the UK. These machines offer gamblers a choice of games, and combine potentially high stakes with the chance of a win every 20 seconds.
Join Wendy on tonight's Panorama, as she seeks to find out why these machines can be so addictive, and are so controversial.
Panorama - Why are Gambling Machines Addictive? is broadcast on BBC One on Monday 12 September at 20:30. Catch up on BBC iPlayer
