Bereaved Mum Backs Calls For Gambling Regulation

A mom from Kent whose child took his own life after ending up being addicted to gambling is backing calls by MPs to treat betting as a public health threat in a comparable way to drinking and smoking cigarettes.


Lesley Wade, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, lost her boy Aaron Armstrong, whom she explains as "family orientated", "enjoyable" and a "dazzling sportsperson," in 2014.


She stated it had actually taken her several years to understand the nature of dependency which "the onus wasn't all on him" to stop .


The Betting and Gaming Council stated the "frustrating bulk" of individuals who gamble do so "securely and responsibly."


4 February 2026


Minster (Isle of Sheppey)


Addiction