PEOPLE in Southend lost a total of almost £50million from betting in the space of eight years.

This is the total discovered by fairer gambling campaigners, Stop The FOBTs (fixed odds betting terminals).

The study looked at betting figures from 2008 to 2016 in Southend with over £7million lost in 2016 alone.

Over £150 million was gambled in total in the same year.

Southend boasts 38 betting shops and 139 fixed odds betting terminals, along with three major casinos.

A leading charity figure has warned that more must be done to prevent a “possible public health crisis in gambling addiction” on a national scale.

Kate Lampard, chairman of GambleAware, said society should be concerned about the risk gambling poses to young people as they are confronted with an influx of advertising from bookmakers.

This comes after figures from Nielsen showed that the gambling industry had spent £1.4billion on advertising since 2012 and £312million in the last year alone, the Times reported.

Writing in the newspaper, Ms Lampard said: “As a society, we should be concerned about the rising risk of harm from wider access and more regular participation in gambling on future generations, resulting in a possible public health crisis in gambling addiction.”

She added: “We need to balance the array of advertising with information about the risks, and where to get help if it becomes a problem.

“With the average age at which children start to watch post-watershed TV unsupervised being 11 and threequarters, restrictions based on a 9pm watershed may offer little protection.”

Ms Lampard said broadcasters were working with GambleAware to address concerns, but called on Google, Facebook, newspapers, professional sports clubs and sporting venues to also do more. She said: “We all have a responsibility to take action to prevent any future crisis in addiction.”

Last year, when addressing the issue, Sir David Amess, MP for Southend West, issued a stark warning about the potential risks.

He said: “If you are on a low income, the dream of a big win transforming your life is very attractive, but if relentlessly pursued, without really being able to afford the bets, it can wreck peoples’ lives.”