Gambling disorder contributed to death of father-of-two

A gambling disorder contributed to the death of a father-of-two who took his own life after losing thousands of pounds, a coroner has ruled.

Luke Ashton died on April 22 2021, after online gambling “consumed” him and saw him lose £5,000 in one month alone just before he took his own life.

The inquest heard the 40-year-old, from Leicester, was making up to 100 bets a day on betting websites and had previously racked up £18,000 in debts due to the “pervasive” gambling addiction.

He was described as a “happy” man who had no diagnosed mental health issues, his wife Annie told his inquest.

One of the main operators used by Mr Ashton since 2012, Betfair, which is owned by Flutter UK & Ireland, was named an “interested person” in the inquest – the first time a gambling company has been involved in such proceedings.

Coroner Ivan Cartwright concluded at Leicester Coroner’s Court on Thursday a gambling disorder did contribute to his death, adding betting company Betfair could have done more to help him before he took his own life.

Mr Cartwright said: “Luke Ashton was assessed as a low risk gambler although his activity was more intensive in the 10 weeks prior to his death. The operator did not intervene or interact with Luke in any meaningful way.”