Manchester United FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

My son Philip was 29 when he took his own life in 2017 after becoming addicted to gambling. Philip was a huge football fan – Manchester United is our family team and he loved them. Like many of his friends, Philip started out by gambling on football but then using started fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) and online casino games as his addiction worsened.

Football started Philip’s addiction – it was his ‘in and sold him the idea that gambling was a safe activity. One study recently found that 700 gambling adverts can appear during a single televised Premier League game. The game my son loved told him that gambling was safe and fun, but it didn’t tell him about any of the risks – about the high suicide risk or how dangerous certain gambling products are.

Public Health England estimates there are 409 suicides linked to gambling each year in England alone, with a study finding that people suffering from gambling disorder are 15 times more likely to take their lives. There are up to 1.4 million people addicted to gambling in the UK and football must stop selling the idea gambling is safe.