Panorama: Season 2016, Episode 28

2016 - 28: Why are Gambling Machines Addictive?

Wendy Bendel investigates what makes fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) so addictive. Wendy's partner killed himself after struggling with a 20-year gambling addiction. In a confession he wrote for Wendy, he singled out the high-stakes, high-frequency FOBTs found in bookmakers across the UK. Wendy embarks on a journey to find out what it is about the design of the machines that makes them so addictive and sees evidence that they can affect the brains of long-term gamblers. She discovers the billions they generate has divided the industry, with former insiders now accusing the bookies of putting profits before people.