Gambling

Simon Rash lives in Swindon with his third wife and runs his own gardening business. Simon started gambling when he was eight-years-old.

Simion: "It creeps up very slowly. At the beginning it was good fun and a great way of life. I wanted to be James Bond with his millionaire life style".

And for the next 20 years his life was spent in casinos, at the bookies and on the fruit machines. But the price was extremely high.

Simon said: "I stopped seeing my family, I lost touch with my religion- and when I got married it ended in divorce due to gambling".

It all ended with a police record for stealing. When Simon went to stay with his parents in Oxford he stole from them.

Simon continued: "My dad could not leave the house unless I had left first. "I would steal his money. In the end I got his bankers card and took £1500 from his account".
Children at risk?



Britain is the only developed country that allows children to gamble and Jonathan Lomax from the Salvation Army wants this to change.

Mr Lomax said: "Currently children of any ages can win up to £5.
"It is time to say children and gambling do not mix. Let us take children away from fruit machines".

So how would this affect the piers by the seafront?

Rod Brennar owns Weston Pier and defends the fact children of any age can play on the machines.

Mr Brennar said: "Surely it is better for children to learn about gambling in a safe environment with their parents rather than discovering it on their own".

The government has no plans to strip the seaside of its slot machines. But they are holding firm on the Bill's main proposals. This is not good news for Simon Rash who has not placed a bet for four years. But will it make it harder for people like Simon to stay that way?