Bereaved Mum Backs Require Gambling Regulation

4 February 2026
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Helen CattPolitical Editor, BBC South East


A mother whose boy took his own life after ending up being addicted to gambling is backing calls from MPs to treat the habit as a public health risk.


Lesley Wade, from Minster on the Isle of Sheppey, lost her "household orientated" and "fun" boy Aaron Armstrong aged 30 in 2014.


She said it had actually taken her many years to understand that dependency implied "the onus wasn't all on him" to stop gambling.


The Betting and (BGC), the primary industry body, said the "frustrating bulk" of people who bet do so "securely and properly".


'All gone'


Armstrong, who worked as a scaffolder, played in a swimming pool league and was an eager golf player.


He also enjoyed football, frequently banking on matches.


She said her kid significantly started to ask her for money in 2013.


"I hadn't admitted to myself the amount of money he was asking me for at various times," she stated.


She recalled one occasion when it was his turn to spend for a Friday early morning breakfast he frequently had with good friends.


Wade said: "He sounded me up and asked me if I might move some money to pay for the breakfast.


"He 'd just been paid that early morning and he had no cash in his account. It was all gone."


She said she now believes he had been resting on the scaffolding, betting on his phone.


Armstrong's relationship with his partner broke down and he was asked to leave his flat.


The scaffolder went on to look for help but, in 2014, he took his own life.


After her boy's death, Wade discovered a number of e-mails from betting firms providing incentives such as funded trips to see his preferred football team.


She stated: "I discovered that he had a deal of a totally free bet for ₤ 1,000 and I thought we 'd disallowed him from all the sites. There were lots of emails however that's the one that really stuck out."


Public health problem


Wade later fulfilled Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Kevin McKenna, who has given that made campaigning on betting damages a priority.


He is now one of a number of MPs, including Worthing West's Dr Beccy Cooper, who are marketing for a change in how society - and the government - techniques betting.


McKenna stated there were about 500 deaths by suicide associated to gambling a year in the country.


"If it was anything else we 'd be taking a look at it as a public health concern," he included.


It would move the focus from private duty to recognising it as a danger to the wider population as a whole.


Treating it as a public health concern might include actions like higher regulation of betting marketing and removing the most addictive products.


The Betting and Gaming Council stated the "frustrating majority" of the 22.5 million individuals who bet in Britain did so "securely" and "responsibly".


According to a Betting Commission report in 2024, Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 2.7% of grownups said they had a gaming issue.


The Conservative federal government launched a review of gaming regulation in 2023.


In 2025, the Gambling Commission provided individuals the right to more control over the direct marketing they get from gambling companies and introduced optimal stakes on online fruit machine.


A federal government spokesperson stated it was "acutely mindful" of the effect hazardous gaming can have and stated it was "committed to reinforcing securities to secure those at danger".


It presented the statutory gaming levy which it explained as a "major favorable step".


This places an obligatory charge on licensed gambling operators which will be used to fund assistance and research study into betting addiction.


'Little fun'


Wade is now part of Gambling With Lives, a group formed by other bereaved moms and dads that provides support to households, and projects to reform gambling laws.


Chair Charles Ritchie said most of its members had lost someone "really typical, pleased, popular" who had "participated in gambling thinking it was a little bit of fun".


"That's what we're all informed and after that when you enter into difficulty you're effectively told it's your fault and households hear that too," he said.


He accused the industry of promoting a story that it is "something incorrect with the individual, a weakness or defect in their character".


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