Online gambler, 25, was ‘groomed’ with £400 casino bonus hours before he took his own life – The Sun
AN online gambler who lost £119,000 in five days was “groomed” with a £400 casino bonus hours before he took his life.
Engineer Chris Bruney, 25, got VIP status despite his cards being refused.
Bets firm PT Entertainment Services did no checks, says the Gambling Commision.
But it surrendered its licence and avoided a £3.5million fine.
Relatives of Chris, from Sheffield, feel “betrayed”.
In a statement, the family said: “We found the courage to start this investigation and our trust has been betrayed.
“We want answers as to how the Gambling Commission allowed the company to close down before there were regulatory actions.
“We want Playtech to pay the proper fine of £3.5m and for individuals to be held to account.”
PT’s parent firm Playtech has vowed to pay the sum to bet addiction charities.
Charity Gambling with Lives said Chris had been “groomed by VIP schemes to gamble intensively despite showing clear indications of gambling disorder”.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
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