A Midland man has run up debts of more than £300,000 by betting on the internet.
The compulsive gambler from Birmingham, who is an office worker, could end up paying off the staggering bill for the rest of his life.
He had managed to keep his addiction secret from family and friends until the anxiety got too much and he sought help from a counselling group.
The man is just one of a growing breed of gamblers who are turning to the worldwide web for betting thrills.
Help groups say that they are encountering an increasing number of adults and children who have run up excessive debts from online services.
The Government is planning legislation which will permit internet gaming sites to be based in the UK and become a "world leader" in all fields of gambling.
Currently several companies run their sites offshore on the Isle of Man and the Isle of Alderney. Gambling experts say they welcome the greater control that could be exercised if sites are given the go-ahead to open on mainland Britain.
But there are concerns that a growing market may lead to more problem gamblers.
Gambling charity GamCare currently receives more than 600 calls a year from people in the West Midlands.
Last year one in 10 concerned gambling on the internet, and the figure is expected to rise.
A spokesman for GamCare, said: "We have one case where a man from Birmingham has run up debts of over £300,000.
"He could end up spending the rest of his life paying off this amount. We are working with him and the internet company to try to resolve this and bring the debt down."
A spokesman for self-help group Gamblers Anonymous, said: "Internet gambling is beginning to manifest more and more problems. Legalising sites in the UK may enable better regulation of the industry.
"There is evidence to show that in other countries where the gambling laws have been relaxed, such as Australia and Canada, the number of problem gamblers has increased."
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport outlined their position on internet gambling in April as part of a paper on the future regulation of remote gambling.
"Effective regulation is by far the most important consideration," it concluded.
"But as long as that is not undermined, every effort should be made to appreciate the commercial pressures faced by licensed gambling operators and to help them compete with their competitors."
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/page.cfm?objectid=13021229&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=%A3300%2C000%20debt%20for%20internet%20gambler
The compulsive gambler from Birmingham, who is an office worker, could end up paying off the staggering bill for the rest of his life.
He had managed to keep his addiction secret from family and friends until the anxiety got too much and he sought help from a counselling group.
The man is just one of a growing breed of gamblers who are turning to the worldwide web for betting thrills.
Help groups say that they are encountering an increasing number of adults and children who have run up excessive debts from online services.
The Government is planning legislation which will permit internet gaming sites to be based in the UK and become a "world leader" in all fields of gambling.
Currently several companies run their sites offshore on the Isle of Man and the Isle of Alderney. Gambling experts say they welcome the greater control that could be exercised if sites are given the go-ahead to open on mainland Britain.
But there are concerns that a growing market may lead to more problem gamblers.
Gambling charity GamCare currently receives more than 600 calls a year from people in the West Midlands.
Last year one in 10 concerned gambling on the internet, and the figure is expected to rise.
A spokesman for GamCare, said: "We have one case where a man from Birmingham has run up debts of over £300,000.
"He could end up spending the rest of his life paying off this amount. We are working with him and the internet company to try to resolve this and bring the debt down."
A spokesman for self-help group Gamblers Anonymous, said: "Internet gambling is beginning to manifest more and more problems. Legalising sites in the UK may enable better regulation of the industry.
"There is evidence to show that in other countries where the gambling laws have been relaxed, such as Australia and Canada, the number of problem gamblers has increased."
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport outlined their position on internet gambling in April as part of a paper on the future regulation of remote gambling.
"Effective regulation is by far the most important consideration," it concluded.
"But as long as that is not undermined, every effort should be made to appreciate the commercial pressures faced by licensed gambling operators and to help them compete with their competitors."
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/page.cfm?objectid=13021229&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=%A3300%2C000%20debt%20for%20internet%20gambler
