English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to thank Jayne Bryant for bringing forward this debate today, for a very thoughtful contribution, and equally both Mick Antoniw and Jane Hutt for adding to that with particular points as well. I do welcome this opportunity for dialogue and engagement in the Chamber to discuss issues relating to the social and health impact of problem gambling. I'm pleased to say that I recognise that there is cross-party support for addressing this issue, and I'm pleased to see that the Chair of the committee has stayed in the Chamber for the debate. Because we do know that many people, as Jayne Bryant set out, participate in gambling activities without any apparent problems. But we also know that, for some people, and an increasing number of people, gambling becomes an addiction, which leads to harmful health and social consequences. As many of us know, the prevalence of problematic gambling in Wales is relatively low, but the health and social impact is significant, and it disproportionately affects our more disadvantaged communities, who are five times more likely to have financial problems from gambling. And, of course, gambling is now more accessible than ever, as the contributors have set out. Online gambling with 24-hour access, at home, at work, anywhere we are, commuting or connecting with our mobile phones or tablet devices - and online gambling in the UK has increased between 2008 and 2014 from 9.7 per cent of the population to 15.4 per cent of the population. Online gambling provides more people with more opportunities to gamble, with fewer restrictions, and that is transparently a very major cause for concern. There is limited player protection for those who gamble online. Gambling can of course impact on an individual's state of mind and affect their ability to function at work, intensify financial problems, and lead to increased levels of poverty. I recognise what has already been said. But, the harm from gambling to wider society includes not just the loss of economic output and the cost of treating an addiction, but the health impact and the action taken to mitigate the effect of poverty on the families affected, and the wider community impact as well. We know that this can extend into fraud and theft, as with a range of other addictions as well.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Hoffwn ddiolch i Jayne Bryant am gyflwyno'r ddadl hon heddiw, am gyfraniad meddylgar iawn, ac yn yr un modd i Mick Antoniw a Jane Hutt am ychwanegu rhai pwyntiau at hynny yn ogystal. Rwy'n croesawu'r cyfle hwn i gynnal deialog ac i gymryd rhan yn y Siambr i drafod materion yn ymwneud ag effaith gamblo cymhellol yn gymdeithasol ac ar iechyd. Rwy'n falch o ddweud fy mod yn cydnabod bod cefnogaeth drawsbleidiol ar gyfer mynd i'r afael â'r mater hwn, ac rwy'n falch o weld bod Cadeirydd y pwyllgor wedi aros yn y Siambr ar gyfer y ddadl. Oherwydd fe wyddom fod llawer o bobl, fel y nododd Jayne Bryant, yn cymryd rhan mewn gweithgareddau hapchwarae heb unrhyw broblemau amlwg. Ond rydym hefyd yn gwybod, i rai pobl, a nifer gynyddol o bobl, fod hapchwarae'n tyfu'n ddibyniaeth, sy'n arwain at ganlyniadau niweidiol i iechyd ac yn gymdeithasol. Fel y gŵyr llawer ohonom, mae lefelau gamblo cymhellol yng Nghymru yn gymharol isel, ond mae'r effaith ar iechyd ac yn gymdeithasol yn sylweddol, ac mae'n effeithio'n anghymesur ar ein cymunedau mwy difreintiedig, sydd bum gwaith yn fwy tebygol o fod â phroblemau ariannol yn deillio o hapchwarae. Ac wrth gwrs, mae hapchwarae bellach yn fwy hygyrch nag erioed o'r blaen, fel y mae'r cyfranwyr wedi nodi. Hapchwarae ar-lein gyda mynediad 24 awr yn y cartref, yn y gwaith, unrhyw le y byddwn, yn cymudo neu'n cysylltu â'n ffonau neu ddyfeisiau symudol - ac mae hapchwarae ar-lein yn y DU wedi cynyddu rhwng 2008 a 2014 o 9.7 y cant i 15.4 y cant o'r boblogaeth. Mae gamblo ar-lein yn rhoi mwy o gyfleoedd i gamblo i fwy o bobl, gyda llai o gyfyngiadau, ac mae hynny'n amlwg yn achos pryder mawr iawn. Cyfyngedig yw'r mesurau diogelu chwaraewyr i'r rheini sy'n gamblo ar-lein. Wrth gwrs, gall hapchwarae effeithio ar gyflwr meddwl yr unigolyn a gall effeithio ar eu gallu i weithredu yn y gwaith, dwysáu problemau ariannol, ac arwain at lefelau uwch o dlodi. Rwy'n cydnabod yr hyn a ddywedwyd eisoes. Ond mae'r niwed a achosir gan hapchwarae i gymdeithas ehangach yn cynnwys nid yn unig yr allbwn economaidd a gollir a chost trin dibyniaeth, ond yr effaith ar iechyd a'r camau a gymerir i liniaru effaith tlodi ar y teuluoedd yr effeithiwyd arnynt, a'r effaith ar y gymuned ehangach yn ogystal. Gwyddom y gall hyn ymestyn i gynnwys twyll a lladrata, fel gydag amryw o fathau eraill o ddibyniaeth hefyd.