'Gambling is destructive and destroys families', says widow after dad-of-two took his own life

The widow of a "devoted and happy" father who took his own life after suffering with a gambling addiction has paid tribute to her husband at the end of an inquest into his death.

Speaking to the media outside Leicester Town Hall, Annie Ashton, wife of Luke Ashton, said coroner Ivan Cartwright’s conclusion that a gambling disorder did contribute to her husband’s death "confirms what I have always believed".

She also urged betting companies to change their practices.

Mrs Ashton said the coroner's conclusion vindicates what she has argued all along, "that gambling is destructive, destroys families and causes suicide".

In a statement, she said: "My hope is that all gambling companies will take note of today's strong conclusion and will urgently adjust their practices to provide proper interactions or intervention so a larger number of people to prevent further harms and deaths caused by gambling.

"It is clear to me that Betfair's categorisation of Luke as 'low risk' was not fit for purpose and that their assessment of risk does not have the safety of their customers in mind.

"For us, it doesn't change the fact that Luke is not with us but we are pleased that the coroner agrees that measures should be put in place to prevent other families going through what we have."

Paying tribute to her husband, Mrs Ashton continued: "Luke was a bright, happy and bubbly person, who easily made friends. At work, he was a highly respected colleague who had many admirers.

"He wanted nothing more than the simple things in life, to be a father and a husband.

"As a husband and a father, Luke was nothing short of supportive and proud. He was a real rock to us all, but in reality, he masked his own pain, to protect us from what he was going through.

"Our lives have been changed forever, and there are no tools in this universe that can fix the damage caused, but no matter how much pain and harm we are feeling, it cannot be as excruciating as what Luke was feeling before his death because ultimately for him, he felt that the only way to make it stop was by losing his place on earth with the people he truly loved.

"Luke was suffering from a gambling disorder and unfortunately this was an illness he did not understand or recognise.

"I believe Luke blamed himself, not knowing the facts about his illness and consequently was consumed by how it made him feel. Luke did not want to die, he had everything he wanted.

"The only thing he did not want was the pain and harm he was experiencing from gambling."

Help and advice on gambling and how to block gambling software on your devices

Gordon Moody - offers residential courses for men and women who have problems with gambling – email help@gordonmoody.org.uk or call 01384 241292 to find out more.

GamCare - offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK. It runs the 24/7 free National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) and al offers face-to-face counselling.

GambleAware - provides information to help people make informed decisions about their gambling.

Epic Restart Foundation - offers activities to equip those recovering from gambling harm with useful and constructive tools.