Could winter boredom lead to increased demand for gambling services?

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by Change | 7 Jan 2010

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More people could require the help of gambling services this winter thanks to bad weather-induced boredom.

Increasing numbers of people could be in need of gambling addiction support this winter as boredom causes more visits to betting websites.

WilliamHill.com has reported a "record breaking surge" of players logging on to its website, with tens of thousands of members playing at any one time.

This could lead to a rise in gambling counselling, with many becoming addicted to online poker, roulette, bingo and other casino games during the ongoing cold spell, with lots of people choosing not to leave their homes.

WilliamHill.com spokesman David Hood said there had been a ten-fold increase in the number of new registrations, which he said had mainly come from "people stuck at home".

"We look like shattering all previous records for the number of online players on the website site at any one time," he commented.

"Bingo and poker seem to be the most popular as they are small stake games."

Mr Hood went on to say that the website's live casino has been "very busy", which could in turn lead to an increase in people seeking gambling services.

Last month, the Great Yarmouth Mercury reported that gambling problems are becoming more common in Norfolk and Suffolk as betting and casino games become more accessible.

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