How does a 42 year old woman with no previous criminal convictions suddenly become a thief who spends over £60,000 of stolen money on online bingo? This is the amazing case of a 42 year old woman, who abused her position of trust as the manageress of a petrol station to steal this huge amount of cash in a mere two months. And she would have presumably continued to do so had her theft not been discovered when the owner of the petrol station decided to sell his business. What is really shocking is that all the money was spent on online bingo, which, the woman claims, had become an addiction.
Addiction to many forms of gambling is well documented and there is no doubt that while the majority of online bingo players are playing for the fun and entertainment of the game, there are a few lost souls who have become addicted to the game of bingo. There is a difference to playing bingo regularly because you love the game and enjoy both the competitive and social aspect, and playing bingo because you are compelled to do so even if it means going into terrible debt to fund your bingo playing. True gambling addiction is a disease that needs to be treated and falls into the same league as alcohol addiction. While some people can stop after one or two drinks, there are others who cannot. Similarly, while most people can stop gambling or playing bingo without spending more than they can afford, there are those who simply cannot stop themselves.
From the article that appeared in the Driffield Times in early September, it would seem that the woman in question had been introduced to online bingo by a friend’s mother. She had no interest in the game of bingo previously and had recently gone through a divorce and was suffering from depression. Initially the woman funded the bingo herself and then quickly spiraled into credit card debt. Thereafter she turned to stealing a whopping £1,000 a day to satisfy her online bingo cravings.
The poor woman’s life is now in ruins because she was in the throes of a gambling addiction. It’s clear that if she had been introduced to another form of gambling other than online bingo, then she would have spent her money there. She has lost her house and is in terrible debt and now faces jail time. The money spent on online bingo cannot be recovered.
