Bereaved Mum Backs Calls For Gambling Regulation

A mother from Kent whose boy took his own life after ending up being addicted to gambling is backing calls by MPs to deal with gambling as a public health threat in a comparable way to drinking and cigarette smoking.


Lesley Wade, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, lost her son Aaron Armstrong, whom she refers to as "family orientated", "enjoyable" and a "brilliant sportsman," in 2014.


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


The Betting and Gaming Council said the "frustrating bulk" of people who gamble do so "safely and responsibly."


4 February 2026


Minster (Isle of Sheppey)


Addiction