Inquest links gambling addiction to Gareth Evans death
An inquest found that gambling addiction contributed to the death of Gareth Evans; his family and a charity are calling for change.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An inquest has found that gambling addiction contributed to the death of Gareth Evans, a man who took his own life after a decade of addiction. His family and a charity are now calling for urgent changes to the gambling industry.
Gareth Evans, described by his mother Rosie as "a great guy" who was "full of fun" and loved sport and travel, died after years of struggling with gambling. His sister Susanna said he was "funny, kind, thoughtful" and that the family had no idea of the extent of his suffering until they read a letter he left. In it, he wrote: "I can't help but return to this disgusting habit. I'm ashamed and I'm embarrassed. I suffer every day. I've done nothing but gamble for six months. I lie to you daily and I hate myself for it."
The inquest heard that Gareth visited William Hill shops up to five times a day and was losing thousands of pounds every month. Despite this, there was only one email checking in on him. The coroner concluded that even if the company had intervened, she could not say it would have stopped him taking his life. The family and the charity Gambling With Lives, represented by co-founder Charles Ritchie, argue that the industry's products are designed to be highly addictive and that the blame should not fall on individuals.
Charles Ritchie said: "What we've got is a position where we've got highly addictive products which are peddled by the industry that they're just a bit of fun. The truth is they are designed to be highly addictive. Addiction is an inevitability of our current model." He also noted that gambling disorder has been recorded as a medical cause of death in six inquests over the past nine months.
William Hill's parent company, Evoke, issued a statement saying: "We'd like to extend our sincere condolences to Mr Evans' family in this tragic case. Safe for gambling is at the core of the Evoke business. We are fully committed to providing a safe and sustainable environment for all customers." The family rejected this, with Susanna saying the company "just weren't safeguarding at all."
The family and charity are now calling for a ban on gambling advertising, which they say draws people into addiction and affects those already suffering. Rosie Evans urged people to talk about their struggles: "Don't feel ashamed. Talk about it. This is the most important thing. Share with your friends. Share with your family." Charles Ritchie added that every gambling-related death should be investigated, as government figures suggest 100 to 500 people die each year in connection with gambling, but most are not recorded.
The government has created 16 gambling clinics, up from just one when Gareth sought help. The charity Gambling With Lives and the helpline Gamcare (0808 802 0133) offer support.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 |
|---|---|
| An inquest found that gambling played a major part in Gareth Evans' death. | |
| The coroner concluded that even if William Hill had intervened, it would not necessarily have stopped Gareth taking his life. | |
| William Hill had only one email checking on Gareth despite him visiting shops up to five times a day and losing thousands monthly. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel devoted a full interview segment to the story, focusing on the personal tragedy of Gareth Evans and the emotional impact on his family. The tone was sympathetic and campaign-oriented, giving the family and charity co-founder Charles Ritchie a platform to call for a ban on gambling advertising and better industry regulation. The channel also included a statement from William Hill's parent company and allowed the family to rebut it.
- “He was a great guy. He was full of fun. He had lots of friends. He loved sport. He loved football especially. And travel. A loving fellow.”
- “I can't help but return to this disgusting habit. I'm ashamed and I'm embarrassed. I suffer every day. I've done nothing but gamble for six months. I lie to you daily and I hate myself for it.”
- “The truth is they are designed to be highly addictive. Addiction is an inevitability of our current model.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.