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'One free bet sparked my gambling addiction'

Taking up the offer of a free online bet led "Gary" into a decade of addictive gambling.

He spoke anonymously to the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ in the wake of a Glasgow University study which concluded that a radical overhaul of gambling laws was needed to prevent addiction and harm.

The report - published in the British Medical Journal - has called for an industry-wide levy on online betting companies to fund treatment services for problem gamblers.

"Gary" told ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland's social affairs correspondent Chris Clements how his addiction cost him more than £100,000 and left him with a life in tatters.

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3 minutes

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