Ellen Mulvey ran up huge betting losses online and wrote ‘addiction is the worst disease’ before she died

A family is calling for wholesale reform of the gambling industry after an inquest heard details of the life and death of Ellen Mulvey, a “generous and caring” woman with a high-flying City job who also had a secret addiction.

Mulvey’s family believe she lost hundreds of thousands of pounds gambling without their knowledge, first via mainstream operators and then on unlicensed platforms.

The gambling crisis ‘demands a public health response’ and should be regulated like alcohol or tobacco, expert says

Gambling addiction is spiraling “out of control” in the US, a leading campaigner for stricter guardrails has warned, as experts from around the world are set to gather in Boston to push for more regulation of the industry.

The rapid expansion of online gambling, prediction markets and sports betting platforms, “demands a public health response”, according to Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), urging policymakers to intervene.

Bets placed on Middle East conflict has led to US firm experiencing big increase in volume

Polymarket, the online prediction platform that hosts bets on events such as the Iran war, is in talks to raise $400m (£296m) at a valuation of up to $15bn.

The company has gained notoriety in recent months over wagers placed on the Middle East conflict, including on the timing of US-Israel strikes against Iran, and on a US-Iran ceasefire, some of which appeared to bear signs of insider trading.

SINGAPORE: What if your friends’ advice ends up doing you more harm than good? A 26-year-old diploma holder who lost his job in the banking and finance industry after a company restructuring vented online about how challenging it has become to find a decent-paying job.

He said that after attending numerous interviews, he had only received job offers worth around S$1,500, adding that he believed this was because he only had a diploma and not a degree.

To make matters worse, while still jobless, he revealed that he now has over S$20,000 in debt after turning to gambling, following his friends’ suggestion that it could be a source of “extra income”.

Commenters on The Independent Singapore’s Facebook page, however, questioned why his so-called friends would advise him to turn to gambling instead of encouraging him to keep searching for better job opportunities.

One commenter said, “If your friends had suggested that you gamble, then maybe you need better friends. If anyone can win in gambling, then no one will work…And even if someone can make the rare occasional win, 99.99% of the people will end up losing money in the long term. Just bear this in mind before you gamble,” while others suggested he cut off communication with those friends.

Another commenter added, “The only reason gambling businesses exist is that they make money. No one would open a gambling business if it were not profitable!”

Several others offered encouragement and suggested taking on part-time jobs instead.

A 59-year-old mother who had also previously lost her job once encouraged him and shared her experience, saying, “You are young. Keep trying or get a part-time job. I used to work 16 hours when I was 26 years old. Take care of my kids, aged 5 and 3 years. My hubby was sick and jobless most of the time. I worked the night shift. Now I am 59 years old. I worked in retail and switched jobs recently. I am a driver now. I worked long hours till my kids finished poly. Now they are working. I like working and don’t depend on my kids for pocket money. Don’t lose hope and don’t go down the wrong path.”

According to Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), gamblers and their families, who often have to struggle with financial and debt problems, as well as guilt, anxiety and even depression, can seek assistance through NCPG’s helpline at 1800-6-668-668, or check here for more information on counselling services. /TISG

Read also: Laid-off tech professional finds job after 14 months, shares advice for job seekers: ‘I am seeing light at the end of this tunnel’

This article (Jobless diploma holder racks up more than S$20K debt after gambling on friends’ advice) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

Hannah Spencer says minister ‘continuously offends people by saying working-class people don’t care about dogs’

Labour is “offensively caricaturing” working-class people by saying they do not want a greyhound racing ban in England, the Green party MP Hannah Spencer has said.

The sport has traditionally been associated with working-class culture and has historically been popular in so-called red wall areas, which Labour insiders suggest is part of the reason why there are no plans for England to follow bans announced last month in Scotland and Wales.

Growing numbers in the capital Honiara are playing the street card game Pass for a chance of a big payout, while risking big losses

As the school day ends in Honiara, *Irene, a 43-year-old teacher in a floral dress with a yellow daisy in her bun, steps on to a minibus.

After 10 minutes, Irene gets off the bus, walks down an alley, and enters a damp, smoky shelter. Plastic tables fill the space and playing cards are scattered on the floor. Irene has stopped by a hidden gambling table in a western suburb of Honiara to play Pass, a street card game gaining popularity in the Solomon Islands capital.

US$68,844 (HK$539,268) has been bet on prediction market platform Polymarket as to whether jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be released by July.

The wager is among several other predictions relating to Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, though it is unclear if platforms like Polymarket and others are legal.

Hong Kong police were unable to give a definitive answer as to whether the betting markets, where users place money on the probability of an event, are permissible in the city, where most forms of gambling are outlawed.

As of Friday, Polymarket users had bet US$68,844 on whether Lai – who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on national security grounds in February – would be released by June 30. Only five per cent of users currently believe the Apple Daily founder will be freed, down from a high of 23.2 per cent on March 8.

Other China-related bets see users betting on when US President Donald Trump will visit China, with almost US$22 million worth of predictions placed. Millions of dollars have also been wagered on whether, and when, China may attack Taiwan.

Six-figure sums are also circulating around weather predictions, as users try to guess the highest temperature on given days in Hong Kong.

Competing platforms Pariflow and Kalshi are also hosting geopolitical bets on Chinese politics, such as the country’s unemployment rate.

‘Regular online patrols’

It is unclear if prediction markets are illegal under Cap. 148 of the Gambling Ordinance. When asked by HKFP, a police spokesperson cited the legislation, which makes no mention of online prediction markets.

“The police will continue to adopt a four-pronged strategy – namely prevention, education, intelligence gathering, and enforcement – to combat all forms of illegal gambling,” a police spokesperson said on March 24. “The police will also conduct regular online patrols to monitor emerging market activities for any signs of illegal gambling. Upon discovery of illegality, the police will take decisive enforcement action.”

In the US, they are considered speculative futures markets, rather than gambling. Anonymous traders have made millions of dollars making last-minute bets on the Trump administration’s decisions on tariffs, Venezuela and Iran, prompting calls for more regulation to tackle suspected insider trading.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has a government-sanctioned monopoly on gambling in Hong Kong. Only gambling on lotteries, basketball, horse racing and football is permitted.

A licence is required for any entity to operate, promote, or facilitate gambling in Hong Kong.