Jack Ritchie inquest: Heartbroken Sheffield parents say son was victim of 'predatory' gambling industry

The parents of a young Sheffield teacher say he was the victim of a ‘predatory’ industry, after a coroner ruled gambling contributed to his death.
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Jack Ritchie, from Nether Edge, was just 24 when he took his own life in Vietnam in November 2017, after his gambling addiction ‘spiralled out of control’.

An inquest into his death ended today, Friday, March 4, with a coroner concluding that the warnings and treatment available had been ‘woefully inadequate’.

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Jack Ritchie at his graduation with his parents Charles and Liz Ritchie. His parents have attacked gambling companies and the Government following the conclusion of an inquest, held at Sheffield Town Hall, into the death of their 24-year-old son, in Vietnam in November 2017 (pic: Family Handout/PA Wire)Jack Ritchie at his graduation with his parents Charles and Liz Ritchie. His parents have attacked gambling companies and the Government following the conclusion of an inquest, held at Sheffield Town Hall, into the death of their 24-year-old son, in Vietnam in November 2017 (pic: Family Handout/PA Wire)
Jack Ritchie at his graduation with his parents Charles and Liz Ritchie. His parents have attacked gambling companies and the Government following the conclusion of an inquest, held at Sheffield Town Hall, into the death of their 24-year-old son, in Vietnam in November 2017 (pic: Family Handout/PA Wire)
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In a narrative conclusion, Coroner David Urpeth said that information about the dangers of gambling was available at the time of Jack’s death, as was some treatment.

But he said: “Such warnings, information and treatment were woefully inadequate and failed to meet Jack’s needs.”

Mr Urpeth told the hearing: “Sadly, this addiction spiralled out of control and led to his suicide.”

He concluded that ‘gambling contributed to Jack’s death’, and said he would be writing to a number of government departments with warnings about how future deaths can be prevented, especially through more training for GPs about gambling disorders.

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Mr Urpeth told the hearing at Sheffield Town Hall the ‘evidence showed there were still significant gaps’ in provision for gambling disorders and warnings about the dangers of gambling.

He said: “Jack did not understand that being addicted to gambling was not his fault.

“That lack of understanding led to feelings of shame and hopelessness which, in time, led to him feeling suicidal.”

Following the ruling, Jack’s parents, Liz and Charles Ritchie, said: “The coroner has ruled that woefully inadequate state failings have led to Jack’s death. Gambling was the root and trigger of Jack’s death – the court heard that it took hold of a happy healthy 17-year-old child and killed him.

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“This inquest is about justice for our Jack. Jack died wrongly believing he was the problem. He was abused by parasitical gambling companies who create a deadly disorder for profit and then blame the victims, saying they should have gambled ‘responsibly’.

“We know that Jack was not the problem and in our grief we are also victims of a predatory industry and a collusive government.

“In this inquest we sought justice not only for our beautiful, kind Jack but also for all the others who are lost to the families who love them.

“Jack’s inquest revealed the link between gambling and suicide has been known for years but thousands of deaths later real change is yet to happen.”

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Mr Ritchie, who with his wife set up the charity Gambling With Lives, added that it was clear a statutory levy for the NHS was needed to ‘remove any gambling industry influence over information and treatment’.

The couple believe the hearing was the first so-called Article 2 inquest in a case relating to suicide following gamblin, which means its scope included an examination of whether any arm of the state breached its duty to protect their son’s right to life.

Will Prochaska, the CEO of Gambling with Lives, said: “Government departments knew about the high suicide risk but failed to adequately regulate the industry, failed to warn the public of the risk, and failed to put proper treatment in place. Instead, they delegated responsibility for protecting the public to gambling-industry-influenced charities.

“The coroner heard that gambling disorder is caused by dangerous gambling products, not by personal failings. Of the estimated 1,227 gambling related suicides since 2018 in England, the Gambling Commission has investigated just 8, showing little concern about the deaths caused by the products they licence.

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“It is appalling that the Ritchie family have had to fight the government’s lawyers to bring these issues to light. They’ve done it for the son they’ve lost, and for the growing number of bereaved families. Every day someone takes their life because of gambling products, but the Gambling Act review has seen delay after delay. The government must now act urgently to stop the deaths.”Merry Varney, solicitor at law firm Leigh Day, representing the Ritchie family, added: “Jack was a warm, lively and bright young man loved by friends and his family. The coroner accepted the undisputed evidence that Jack developed a gambling disorder in the years before his death, having started gambling in sixth form.

“The coroner found his GP and the services he was referred to lacked the skills and training to identify his gambling disorder and offer Jack appropriate treatment, as well as a system of regulation which was woeful.”

The inquest heard how Jack died on November 22, 2017, in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he had been living and working as an English teacher. He had been gambling heavily on two days before his death and left a note for his family which indicated that gambling was central to his decision to end his life.

Following the inquest, a Gambling Commission spokesman said: “Jack’s death was a tragedy and we have met and spoken with Jack’s parents on several occasions to understand and agree how we can learn from their experience to inform the way we work.

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“These conversations, along with those of others who have experienced harm, strengthens our commitment to protect consumers and make Britain’s gambling market fairer and safer.”

A spokesman for UK lobby group the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said the industry has introduced ‘significantly strengthened safeguards for customers’ and recent figures showed the rate of problem gambling had gone down.

“The BGC’s largest members committed to spend an additional £100 million for the treatment of problem gambling, including treatment for a minority of those who are suffering from serious addiction, between 2019 and 2023,” he added.

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