Gambling therapy must be made routinely available on the NHS, doctors say.
The British Medical Association report is warning that the forthcoming relaxation in the laws may prompt a rise in problem gamblers.

Doctors said therapy was patchy with many addiction services not screening people for gambling and the industry must invest £10m a year into research.

But the government said NHS services had a long history of helping people with gambling addictions.

The Gambling Act is due to come into force in September, which paves the way for a host of new casinos, including the controversial "super-casino".

Seven in 10 adults gamble each year, helping to sustain a £9bn industry.

Research has shown that there are 300,000 problem gamblers, where their addiction can have an impact on their physical and mental health, employment, finances and relationships.

The report said it was particularly worried about adolescent problem gamblers and the report is calling for a review on whether slot machine gambling should be prohibited to anyone under 18.

It said fruit machine addiction can lead to behavioural problems such as truanting, stealing and aggressive behaviour.

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SOURCE: BBC News Online