Leading article: Don't gamble with addiction

Governments should not try to prohibit gambling, just as they should not try to ban drinking or - and this newspaper took an unfashionably liberal view on this - smoking. But that does not mean that a free-for-all is a good idea, either. This country faces a serious and growing problem of gambling addiction, as we report today, and the Government has a responsibility to try to deal with the causes rather than the symptoms.

The Gambling Act, which comes into effect this year, is already out of date. Since the Bill was passed, the Government has come unstuck, particularly over casinos. Ministers were guilty, at best, of a lack of attention to detail. Allowing casinos to advertise on television, for example, will erode cultural restraints on gambling. But casinos are a minor issue compared to the scale of problem-gambling. The main issue is not access to gambling, although it makes sense to put some restraints in the way, and to be vigilant about new ways in which children may bet. In addition, scratchcards, betting on mobile phones, and late-night television programmes masquerading as quiz shows might easily draw in children.

Rather, the main emphasis of public policy ought to be on the underlying causes of problem-gambling, namely addictive behaviour. It ought to be seen primarily as a mental health issue, which is why ministers should listen to doctors. Questions of addiction are central to The Independent on Sunday's mental health campaign. We have argued for years for a shift in emphasis in the NHS from hi-tech surgery to therapy - where this can be shown to have beneficial effects on mental health problems. In gambling, as with alcohol and illegal drugs, it is excess and addiction that does the damage to society, and which justifies government intervention. But that intervention should take the form not primarily of bans and restrictions, but of employing more NHS therapists.