Rugby Borough Council has teamed up with a national charity to tackle to concerning number of people in the West Midlands who suffer from the harms of gambling.

Figures from GambleAware show that around 168,000 adults in the region find that their gambling is damaging them or their family, with Coventry reportedly having the highest levels of adults experiencing the severest harms, at 5.1 per cent of the population.

Gambling can be portrayed as a harmless activity, but for many, it can lead to serious consequences, including financial hardship, relationship breakdowns, poor mental and physical health, and in some cases, involvement in crime.

Betknowmore UK believe providing a safe space for people to come and ask for help is crucial, with the charity spending two days at Rugby Library on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 June from 9am to 1pm on both days.

A Betknowmore community information stall. Picture supplied.

The latter of Betknowmore’s visits will coincide with a Health and Wellbeing Fair at the library on the Wednesday.

Cllr Claire Edwards, Rugby Borough Council’s portfolio holder for communities and homes, regulation and safety, said: “For too many people gambling can become an addiction that can break up families and ruin lives.

“These two engagement days are an opportunity for anyone to come along and see what help is available.

" It’s never too late to get support.”

Established in 2013, Betknowmore UK’s mission is to address and prevent gambling harms in the UK and global communities.

To find out more about the charity visit the website www.betknowmoreuk.org

Rugby Borough Council teams up with national charity to tackle gambling harms