When Lisa Walker won a six-figure payout during a game of poker at her local casino, she should have been set for the rest of her life.
Instead, the mum-of-two later found herself homeless, having gambled away around half a million pounds - a terrifying truth she'd kept secret from her friends and family for years.
As the cost of living crisis continues to tighten its grip, there are fears that more women like Lisa will become consumed by gambling addiction, as they desperately attempt to source extra cash. READ MORE: First ever water safety summit to reduce tragic toll of deaths from drowning According to research by Gamble Aware, one in four women aged 18 to 49 who gamble expect to do so more in the coming months in a bid to supplement their income, as one in ten women have already reported turning to gambling.
Matt Gaskell, who is Clinical Lead at the NHS Northern Gambling Service, based in Salford Quays, told the M.E.N he also predicts more women, and men, will be turn to gambling during the crisis.
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