‘My cousin died after placing 600 bets in a row’

A man said he took his own life after placing more than 600 bets in an hour. His family told the BBC that his inquest had been a “battle” from start to finish as they struggled to convince the coroner to consider gambling as a factor in his death.

According to family members, in the early morning hours of July 24, 2020, 36-year-old Lee Adams placed hundreds of bets on an online slot machine website shortly after receiving his monthly salary. Within hours, the south Londoner took his own life.

More than five years later, in November 2025, the coroner concluded that gambling disorder contributed to his death.

Adams’ cousin Natalie Ashbolt said the family must instruct lawyers to have the coroner consider the impact of his gambling and called for better support for families affected by gambling-related deaths.

Ashbolt, whose family has also received support from a campaign group called Gamble with Life, said she was shocked by how difficult the process had been and feared other bereaved families would struggle to achieve a similar outcome at the inquest.

The Adams family’s lawyer, Leigh Day, argued that although there are nearly 500 gambling-related suicides in England each year, according to a report by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the inquest into Adams at Southwark Coroner’s Court was only the third time the role of gambling has been considered in depth in an inquest.

After her mother’s death, Natalie spent most of his adult life with Lee in Streatham.

“He loved his company but he also loved spending time with his family, friends and colleagues,” she told BBC London. “Always busy. But generally very funny, loves to laugh. Doesn’t take things in life too seriously.”

She added: “I always knew he gambled a bit on pokies or put £10s in online over the years, but it wasn’t until he had a big win that it became a high-profile issue.”

In March 2020, Adams won just under £100,000 and from then on his gambling behavior “continued to spiral”, his cousin said.

“Thousands of people came back to the scene. We obviously said the normal things: ‘Stop when you’re ahead and don’t come back. Be sensible.’

“A few weeks went by and he was getting another load and was very sad about it.”

The coroner also ruled that Adams had suffered from long-term depression in the months leading up to his death, which occurred during the coronavirus lockdown, and had become increasingly dependent on and involved in gambling.

The coroner found that the operator contacted Adams in late March about his deposit and said he was doing well. He continued to gamble and was not identified as being at greater risk.

The coroner, who gave a narrative verdict, said opportunities had been missed by gambling operators at the time, although these did not lead to Adams’ death.

“We were not concerned about leaving Lee alone. We didn’t know how bad it was or how bad it could get in this situation,” Ashbolt said.

She told BBC London she was “numb…completely shocked” when she learned of her cousin’s death.

“Tip of the iceberg”

She said the family will not be able to properly grieve until the investigation is concluded.

“We were surprised at how difficult the investigation was,” Ashbolt told the BBC.

“We need to recognize that having gambling disorder listed as a causative factor is an achievement – as a family we have always known this,” she said, adding that she felt operators were “not being held to account”.

Ashbolt said: “It even prompted the coroner to consider this [gambling]”, but hiring a lawyer helps.

She believed the system “failed” and was “not set up with gambling in mind”.

“Unless you have the private funding, the support and the ability to get coroners to accept that they are going to investigate gambling … what we are doing is not going to happen to all families.”

Lawyer Leigh Day told BBC London it was only the third inquest they were aware of since 2022 in which a coroner admitted gambling caused someone to commit suicide.

The law firm’s Dan Webster believes the deaths are just the “tip of the iceberg”.

The nature of gambling disorder, which is “sometimes hidden from loved ones”, has been a challenge for families, but he said when they raised concerns with the coroner “they refused to investigate those concerns”.

Webster said that before he began supporting the family, they were told the coroner “had all the evidence he required and intended to continue with the investigation without seeking further investigation”.

According to Webster, the inquest was originally scheduled for March 2022, but the coroner postponed the hearing at the last minute. Subsequently, the investigation was repeatedly postponed.

He added: “I think it’s really important that coroners are more aware of the link between gambling and gambling disorder and suicide.”

Solicitors Leigh Day are also representing the family of Gareth Evans, 40, from Croydon, who was found dead in his flat in November 2021.

The coroner is investigating the potential influence of gambling in Evans’ death. The investigation is not over yet.

In January 2025, the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence published guidance on the treatment and identification of gambling, recommending that GPs ask patients about their gambling during routine check-ups, just as they do about drinking and smoking.

“This means that not only should the coroner conduct an investigation, but there should be an evidence base … if that’s in the medical record,” said Charles Ritchie, founder of Gamble With Your Life, an organization that raises awareness of problem gambling.

The company was founded by Richie and his wife Liz after their son Jack committed suicide in 2017 while battling a gambling addiction.

In 2022, the coroner ruled that the 24-year-old teacher from Sheffield failed due to “grossly inadequate” warning and treatment.

“Jake’s case was the first large-scale gambling investigation ever. It was a very long process,” Ritchie said. “This shouldn’t be a fight, but it is.”

He told BBC London that coroners were “often unaware that the National Suicide Prevention Strategy recognizes gambling as a risk factor for suicide, nor their ability to include evidence of pre-suicide gambling in investigations”.

“Families often do not have the legal knowledge to explain why or how gambling is brought into scope unless they have professional legal representation.”

Ritchie added: “We want to make sure every death is investigated… for the sake of justice, for the sake of the individual.

“We believe these men suffered a lifetime of abuse from gambling and gambling operators. As a society we also need to learn from their deaths.”

Mr Ritchie said the biggest challenge in supporting around 150 bereaved families was “convincing the coroner that gambling did need to be considered”.

He said that in some cases families were “pretty sure” gambling was the “number one cause of death”, adding: “The coroner is still not ready to investigate that.”

How does the inquest system work?

• By law, the purpose of the investigation is limited to determining who has died, when, where and how, and whether the death occurred under certain circumstances – for example, suddenly or suspiciously

• The findings and decisions made during the investigation are final and form part of the official record

• The coroner is required to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report if they believe the changes will reduce the risk of other deaths.

• The BBC understands the Office of the Chief Coroner has shared with all coroners a briefing note provided by the Gambling Regulator outlining the meaning and role of the Gambling Regulator

• The UK’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2023 identifies gambling as a key risk factor. “New, higher-quality evidence has emerged suggesting a link between suicide and risk factors such as harmful gambling and domestic violence,” the report states.

Currently, gambling licensees are required to notify the Gambling Commission (the industry regulator) if they discover that someone they are gambling with has taken their own life.

A spokesman for the regulator said: “When we become aware of a suicide and gambling may have been a factor, we consider whether this indicates a regulatory failure by gambling companies. If they do not comply with our rules, we will take regulatory action against them.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “While we understand people want more information about the link between gambling and suicide, simply asking coroners to record a motive does not provide a reliable picture as they often use limited or incomplete information.”

BBC London contacted the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary but the agency did not wish to comment. We have also contacted Southwark Coroner’s Court for comment.

Listen to BBC Radio London’s highlights sound And follow BBC London Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk