The family of a gambling addict who committed suicide say they are disappointed with the coroner's service, which they say failed to properly investigate the role of bookmakers, a new report has revealed.

Campaign groups believe gambling is a factor in hundreds of suicides each year, but a gambling company has been named as an "interested person" in only one investigation.

Coroners in England and Wales have failed for years to highlight the role gambling plays in many suicides, meaning lessons are not being learned to prevent more deaths, the families warned. They called for an overhaul of the system.

The new report, due to be published on Monday, interviewed 14 people from nine families who had attended the coroner's service following gambling-related suicides. Many said they felt left out of the process and were, in many cases, "reluctant" to have the role of gambling companies included in the investigation.

"Many believe gambling companies, the wider gambling industry or even the government are not being held to account," the report from Birkbeck, University of London and Bath said.

Liz Ritchie, who co-founded the Gambling with Lives charity with her husband Charles after her son Jack's suicide in 2017, said: "This is a group of families calling for justice. People are "Dead, but the cause is unknown." She said the coroner's system could re-traumatize bereaved families, despite many coroners trying to help.

Jo Holloway, who lives near Exeter, said she found the inquest "horrendous" after the death of her son Daniel Clinkscales in October 2017. She gave evidence to the inquest that her son was "charming, very popular and very intelligent". As a regional sales manager, he spent most of his income on gambling.

"I gave them the evidence but the coroner's system wasn't interested," she said. "I thought I was the only person who had lost his life to gambling. I had an absolute urge to know what happened to him."

The family said the coroner did say gambling was a factor in the death, but that was not included on the death certificate, and they believe there was not a proper investigation into the circumstances leading up to his death or a proper examination of his digital devices. . Holloway said the interrogation lasted only about 20 minutes and she was not allowed to make a personal statement about her son. It recorded a verdict of suicide.

Judith Bruney, whose son Chris died in April 2017, said that while his investigation highlighted the role of gambling, it did not examine how he came to be targeted by bookmakers. "He didn't want to gamble, but they wouldn't let him go," Bruni said. "He had nowhere to run. We found out that all these emails and text messages were designed to keep him gambling. None of that was taken into account."

Bruni told the Gambling Commission about the documents she found, which then launched an investigation into the deaths. Playtech, the parent company of a subsidiary involved in fueling his gambling craze, agreed to pay a £3.5m fine and donate a further £5m to charity.

Gambling with Lives was set up in 2018 to provide support to families who have lost a loved one to gambling suicide, some of whom attended the inquest accompanied by legal representatives. The charity is calling for wider access to state-funded legal representation.

Flutter UK and Ireland-owned gambling operator Betfair has been named as an "person of interest" in an investigation into Luke Ashton, who took his own life in April 2021, in what is believed to be the first time it has been named as a person of interest. This happens. The coroner found "gambling disorder" to be a cause of death. A coroner's prevention of future deaths report said Ashton had been assessed by Betfair as a "low risk" despite his intensive gambling activity in the weeks before his death.

Flutter said following an investigation that this was a tragic case and that the company had made "significant changes" to its controls to maintain the "absolute highest standards" in the industry. Ashton's widow Anne, from Leicester, who was represented by law firm Leigh Day at the June 2023 inquiry, said other inquiries had failed to properly examine the role of gambling companies. "There's a glitch in the coroner's system," she said. "It's outdated and needs reform."

This new report into gambling-related suicide is supported by Gambling and Life and forms part of a wider project, Expressing Loss, about the experiences of bereaved families at coroner's inquests and inquests. The project found there was a "significant lack of clarity" about the coroner's role and that families of the deceased often viewed the system as impersonal and cold.

Jessica Jacobson, professor of criminal justice at Birkbeck and one of the report's authors, said there was a "serious discrepancy" between coroners' expectations of families who have died in gambling-related suicides and their experiences. Match': 'Many people feel they missed the opportunity' to learn knowledge that could help prevent future deaths. "

A spokesman for the Gambling Commission (BGC) said: "BGC members have made voluntary contributions of more than £170 million over the past four years to tackle problem gambling and gambling-related harm, including a monthly contribution of £50 million by 2024." UK Approximately 22.5 million people enjoy betting, and the vast majority do so safely and responsibly. "

The Justice Office said the chief coroner did not comment on individual research publications.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritan You can call toll free 116123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the United States, you can call or text National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988, chat 988lifeline.orgor text homepage Call a crisis counselor on 741741. In Australia, crisis support services lifeline It's 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at: befrienders.org