Women are increasingly at risk of gambling addiction and associated harms, a study has found, shedding new light on a problem traditionally associated with men.

The study, produced by Gamble Aware, shows that the number of women seeking treatment for addiction has doubled in the past five years.

But Gamble Aware believes the vast majority of women experiencing addiction do not seek help, due to embarrassment or stigma.

It predicts that as many as one million women across the UK are at risk of suffering harm, with the danger particularly acute in the winter months.

According to the study, visits to gaming sites with a typically female base, such as online bingo, rise by almost 30 per cent between December and March.

Raising awareness

Gamble Aware has launched an awareness campaign to draw attention to the issue and signpost services that women can access.

Lisa Walker, who battled compulsive gambling for more than a decade, shared her experience with the BBC:

"I won over £127,000 in one night", she said. "That was the worst night of my life because that's when my addiction really started to spiral out of control."

"Most days I thought about gambling and most days I did gamble. It got to the stage where I didn't have any value of money any more."

Lisa ended up losing all her winnings and remortgaged her home so she could keep on gambling. Eventually, she attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, where she found help.

Online gambling a danger

Liz Karter, a UK expert in gambling addiction in women and addiction counsellor, said: "Gambling behaviours manifest themselves differently in women than men.

"For example, we know the easy availability of online gambling leads many women to games which appear innocent and socially acceptable. The games seem safe and familiar, as they are so similar to the free play digital games we are all now used to playing.

"In addition, the hopes of financial gains can prove a powerful motivator. While gambling doesn't always lead to harm, it's vital women are aware of early warning signs including losing track of time, incurring increasing debt, or a tendency to hide gambling from others or gambling to forget their problems."

Legal review

The UK Government is expected to publish a white paper on regulation of gambling in the next two months, following several delays.

Campaigners including CARE are calling for much stricter regulation of the betting industry, given spiraling gambling addiction and huge associated harms.

The last major piece of legislation on gambling - the Gambling Act 2005 - is severely out of date given developments in technology that allow online betting 24 hours a day.

More information on the issue can be found here: Gambling Laws: It’s Time For Change

Anyone concerned about their gambling, or that of a loved one, can visit BeGambleAware.org for free, confidential advice and support. The National Gambling Helpline is available on 0808 8020 133