People all over the UK are impacted by the negatives of gambling, especially areas such as Greater Manchester. According to the Greater Manchester Combines Authority one in fifteen residents of Greater Manchester have been affected. Furthermore, this source states that there are 18,100 adults experiencing gambling harms living in Greater Manchester. 1.5x higher than the national average. The estimated economic burden is at least £80 million. In an area where the poverty rates for children according to the Greater Manchester Mayor's charity is 37%, we can't afford to be wasting this much money, and advertising it as well. 

Every year 470 people access specialist gambling support each year and an estimated £2.1 billion is spent on gambling each year and 11% of 11-16 year olds in Greater Manchester spent their own money on gambling in the past week. Revenues from online gambling (advertised on streaming services such as YouTube and Disney plus) has increased by 62% in the last 5 years, and police respond to at least one incident a week where serious concerns on suicide were raised with direct links to gambling.  People with a diagnosed gambling addiction have a 1.8% higher mortality rate and men and women between 16  and 24 who gamble are 9 and 5% (respectfully) more at risk of attempting suicide than the general public. These are students, children who are developing depression because of an addiction organisations advertise the same way they do toys and video games. With catchy songs and puns like the millions who struggle because of this are all part of a joke. 

We need immediate action. As you can see from the data above, things are getting worse. Lives are being ruined. And we are all acting like nothing is wrong. We just act like we are happy being pawns in this scheme that leaves people ruined. Children can now play games where there are in app purchases with mystery chests, which is practically taking gambling, put pretending it is "kid safe". As they get older, they will keep doing it. For that rush, for that need and they will lose. And we are quickly coming towards a world where people can now use their phones to gamble away hundreds, if not thousands in less  than five minutes. Quotes from victims of gambling addictions on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website, state things such as, "I spent all my student loan, I couldn't afford to eat," and "After a binge he gets incredibly low. I feel like I'm on call. We have had to go to urgent care a few times." The last one was written by an 11 year old. Children faced with the burden of caring for their parents, who never even meant to get in that situation in the first place. This has to stop. 

Ban gambling advertisements, because why should a child have to watch a Disney plus film, and see and advert about how throwing money away is a fun song. Why should a student be so stressed out by their students originally, to feel so desperate and alone that they see an advertisement and lose their money for a better life. Why should a fully grown adult, with a family, or without a family, be bombarded with ad after ad of people telling them to give in, that this is what you should do when your sad. Why should we find it ok to push people to the edge just to make cash off their addictions.

If you do that, your no better than people who sell drugs, who laugh when someone is hurting who tells vulnerable people to give up. Your just greedy. And you don't care. Well now it's time to care, because people are getting hurt, they are giving up, they are becoming dependant. And they lose again and again and we tell them to. We tell them to. We've already banned cigarette advertisement. Well now its time to ban this, because gambling has killed a lot of people too. And not just the person who gambles. It impacts everyone. Everyone becomes a victim.

Help save the victims.