Gambler killed himself after being 'consumed' by betting app bonuses: Father, 40, took his own life after firm handed him extra credit to encourage him to keep placing wagers

A father took his own life after Britain's biggest gambling firm handed him bonuses to encourage him to keep betting.

Luke Ashton, 40, had not gambled for two years until he was placed on furlough last November.

His devastated wife Annie, 39, said he became 'consumed' by the Betfair app in six months of lockdown and repeatedly took out loans to cover his stakes.

By this April he had 'lost control' and developed a full-blown gambling disorder. He drove more than 100 miles from the family home in Leicester to take his own life.

A father took his own life after Britain's biggest gambling firm handed him bonuses to encourage him to keep betting. Luke Ashton (pictured above with his wife Annie), 40, had not gambled for two years until he was placed on furlough last November

Mrs Ashton, a primary school teacher, suggested Betfair, part of gambling giant Flutter, was at fault for the tragedy which has left her to bring up their two children alone. 

'Gambling consumed him all day.  It consumed him enough for it to be fatal,' she said. 

'There should have been an intervention, but instead of protecting its customers Betfair is bombarding them with bonuses.

Number of addicts soars in lockdown

The number of problem gamblers treated at specialist clinics has risen by almost a fifth during the pandemic.

Some 371 patients were referred to the National Problem Gambling Clinic between June 2020 and May 2021 – up from 316 the previous year. Five had amassed debts of at least £100,000 while 44 owed between £20,000 and £99,999.

Its founder Henrietta Bowden-Jones said people vulnerable to gambling have been 'impacted negatively by lockdown', blaming factors such as boredom and financial anxiety.

Matt Gaskell, who runs the NHS Northern Gambling Service, said they have also seen a spike in referrals, adding that coronavirus has created a 'perfect storm'.

'Gambling companies are profiting from vulnerable people in a time when they are being furloughed and losing their jobs.

'We have to stop advertising and free bets. It has cost my husband his life.'

It was only after her husband's death, when the police returned his phone, that she accessed his accounts and learnt about the extent of his gambling.

Mrs Ashton added: 'I went weeks asking myself why, and then I went on to his Betfair account – there's why. That's where the anger and the upset has come from.

'It all hit me at once, there's nothing I can say to describe it. It was just wow – this is really serious, it's harmful, and yet it's advertised as fun.'

She said that her husband's gambling spree began shortly after he was furloughed from his job at a printing firm and was struggling at home.

Records show Betfair's app handed him cash bonuses to encourage him to bet more, including seven in the six weeks before he died. 

The final offer, a £5 bonus, was deposited in his account the evening before he went missing.

Mr Ashton set up his Betfair account several years before his death and had opted out of receiving direct marketing by email or text. The offers he received were available to all customers, the company said.

It was the second time Mr Ashton had suffered gambling-related harm. 

In 2019, following months of heavy betting, the couple worked together to enable him to stop and repair their household finances.

During the pandemic MPs and campaigners repeatedly warned that tens of thousands of people were being driven to addiction by bookmakers' predatory tactics.

Mrs Ashton has called on the Government to ban free bets and advertising during live sport. 

His devastated wife Annie, 39, said he became 'consumed' by the Betfair app in six months of lockdown and repeatedly took out loans to cover his stakes. By this April he had 'lost control' and developed a full-blown gambling disorder. He drove more than 100 miles from the family home in Leicester to take his own life

A petition, started after her husband's death, has collected close to 3,000 signatures.

Carolyn Harris MP, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group for gambling, said: 'How many more appalling cases like this do we have to have before ministers take action?'

A Betfair spokesman said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with Mr Ashton's family and friends at this sad time.

'Having been informed of this tragic event we immediately began investigating this matter internally, and if we find any evidence of failings we will take appropriate action.'

The Mail has been pressing for tighter rules under a Stop the Gambling Predators campaign.

Specialist help is available at www.gamblingwithlives.org.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, or go to www.samaritans.org.

To sign Mrs Ashton's petition for a 'Luke's Law', click here.