UK to Open Free Clinics for Problem Gamblers

UNITED KINGDOM – In effort to address gambling addiction in the nation, the UK National Health Services (NHS) is set to open in September a free clinic for problem gamblers.

The Soho Problem Gambling Clinic will open in Central London and will be the first of several government-run clinics that will handle cases involving people with addiction to traditional and online gambling. Patients of the new clinic will be referred from all over Great Britain.

There are an estimated 600,000 individuals all across the UK with gambling addictions and only a few clinics to offer treatment specific to the vice. In addition, many of these gambling clinics are privately-run thus those seeking treatment will be required to pay a huge amount of money.

The Soho clinic will be operated by the Central and North-West London NHS Foundation and will specialize in “co-morbidities” or those individuals whose gambling addictions are accompanied by mental health concerns such as depression or anxiety. Funding for the clinic will come from the gaming industry’s Responsibility in Gambling Trust which was setup several years ago to manage donations from casino operators and bookmakers and re-channel them on the work to fight gambling addiction and awareness programs.

Gamcare, an charity organization involved in the management of gambling addiction, and that is also involved in the new government effort has noted that the new NHS clinics for problem gambling is responsible venture by the government.

“Virtually all the work that is being done to combat gambling addiction is done entirely through the voluntary sector,” said Adrian Scarfe, Gamcare Head of Clinical Services.”Up until recently, the Department of Health and the NHS have not really noticed how much of a problem gambling addiction is.”