High-stakes online gambling is driving addicts struggling to pay off huge debts to turn to offending, Norfolk’s crime commissioner has warned.
Giles Orpen-Smellie said the danger posed by “pernicious” gambling meant it should now be ranked alongside alcohol and illegal drugs as one of the main driving forces behind crime in the region.
“They all involve a need for money and people who need money who cannot earn enough will turn to finding it through other means,” he said.
“That might be through theft or through fraud, but they will find it.”
Mr Orpen-Smellie made his comments after several recent high profile court cases involving people whose offending was linked to their gambling.
Andrew May, from Dersingham, was jailed after stealing more than £1.3m to feed his addiction.
Costessey finance director Steve Girling, who was sentenced to four years, also defrauded his employer out of more than £1m to fund an online gambling habit.
And last November rugby official Trevor Lee, who ran up huge gambling debts, was jailed after stealing almost £180,000.
Recorder Bate-Williams said he had a "long-standing gambling addiction" which he helped pay for "by a prolonged period of terrible dishonesty".
Mr Orpen-Smellie said the move to online gambling had fuelled crime with those addicted able to place large numbers of bets.
“In days gone by you’d have to go to the high street and place your bet across the counter but now, with online gambling, you can go on to any one of numerous sites,” he said.
“Yes, there will be a little logo on the side that says gamble responsibility, but you can spend the whole day betting.
“And if all your money is going on that, and you’ve sold everything that you’ve got, then you need more money because it is an addiction.”
The Howard League for Penal Reform’s commission on crime and gambling-related harms, published last year, found “a lack of understanding of gambling addiction” across the criminal justice system.
“Most participants said that they had amassed large amounts of debt through gambling before committing an offence,” said the report.
“Some reported that they had stolen from friends or family to fund their gambling addiction. The majority, however, had stolen from their employers, often in increasing amounts over time when they did not get caught.”
Steve, who gave evidence to the commission, said: “I started off stealing £700, and then gradually that value started increasing every time; and I think the average I stole what we worked out, £25,000 was the average.”
However while some desperate gamblers turn to theft and fraud, 45% of offences linked to gambling involved violence against the person.
King’s Lynn carer Lewis Roles was branded "despicable and cruel" after stealing more than £16,000 from a deaf and blind man after spending three years gaining his trust.
Most police forces were found to not routinely ask arrested suspects whether they have a gambling addiction in a similar way to drugs and alcohol, it found.
Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the charity, said: “We have a criminal justice system which has interventions which target alcohol and drug-related crime, but there is limited focus on gambling.”
Chief Inspector Rob Wicks, head of custody at Norfolk police, said: “We understand there can be a connection between gambling and crime alongside substance addiction, debt and mental health issues.
“Every individual who comes into custody has the opportunity to speak to our non-police partners in the liaison and diversion team.
“The team are experts in helping to prevent re-offending and will work with people to signpost charities and services which can help divert them.”
Videos about gambling addiction and promoting use of a self-referral scheme are also being developed for Norfolk custody centres, he added.
Betting firms are under pressure from regulator the Gambling Commission to improve procedures to identify irresponsible and problem gambling.
A government white paper on gambling, due to be published this year, is examining whether tighter requirements for operators are required
Mr Orpen-Smellie said there was “probably an argument” for tougher restrictions on gambling advertising.
“I don’t think we have quite got to grips with its insidious effects,” he said.
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