ABOUT 1.6 million children in Britain are growing up in households where an adult is experiencing problem gambling, it was revealed today.

Children exposed to gambling are also four times more likely to go on to experience such issues themselves, charity GambleAware’s annual survey found.

Up to 130,000 people who used to gamble said they were still experiencing harm from previous gambling, while an estimated 1.2 million adults who used to gamble reported feeling the urge to gamble again in the last six months.

Data obtained from the study found that almost half of those experiencing problem gambling were at high risk of suicidal behaviour.

There is also increasing demand for services and support around gambling, particularly among “affected others,” with numbers rising from 29 per cent in 2022 to 35 per cent last year.

Several issues are preventing people from seeking support with gambling issues, including the cost-of-living crisis and the accessibility of gambling, the study found.

GambleAware called for a pre-watershed ban on TV advertising of gambling, improved health warnings on all gambling advertising and a ban on gambling marketing at sporting events.