English: Worryingly, the Children's Society have estimated that 43 per cent of families in Wales are expected to borrow more money to pay for Christmas - the highest proportion of all regions in the UK. Gambling can present an attractive escape route for those desperately seeking to pay off debt accrued during the Christmas period. For many, the painful financial effect of Christmas won't be felt until the new year. February always shows a huge spike in gambling rates, with the arrival of credit bills for several months earlier. Individuals facing critical financial pressures are more likely to think that they have nothing to lose when placing a bet. Experts in problem gambling, Newport Citizens Advice, in my constituency, provide one of the few face-to-face services for people struggling specifically with gambling addiction. Their knowledge and expertise on the issue of problem gambling in Wales is invaluable and I would like to take this opportunity to commend them to the Cabinet Secretary. Problem gambling can be defined as a situation in which gambling disrupts or damages personal, family or recreational pursuits. It's now widely accepted that it has the potential to become a disorder comparable to that of drug or alcohol addiction. Anyone who gets caught up in the downward spiral of problem gambling finds only too soon that the negative impact on his or her life can be devastating. Finding money to gamble is usually the most immediate and obvious issue, which brings with it enough problems. But an all-consuming compulsion to gamble at any cost leads to difficulties that affect employment, quality of life, family relationships and mental and physical health. The Gambling Commission has highlighted that more than 2 million people in the UK are either problem gamblers or at risk of addiction and warned that the UK Government and the industry were not doing enough to tackle this problem. Carolyn Harris MP, who has been a tenacious campaigner on problem gambling, has consistently raised this issue in Westminster, saying that this problem is not going away; in fact, it's getting worse. She and others have been severely critical of the industry, particularly with the prevalence of fixed-odd betting terminals, which have become known as the crack cocaine of gambling. Identification of a gambling problem is paramount if an individual is to receive help. For some people, recognition of a problem is straightforward. For many individuals, however, problem gambling remains undiagnosed, often co-existing with debt, mental health or substance misuse. For those who turn to gambling in difficult personal and financial times, the temptation to risk it all in the hope of a win can be too much. The problem is exacerbated, as significant gambling debts are often accrued secretly without the family's knowledge. Uncovering this secret debt has a truly devastating impact on individuals and families. The health and well-being of partners, children and friends can all be negatively affected. Harm can also extend to employers, communities and the economy. The numbers of those who experience harm as a result of gambling by others will be considerably greater than the number of people who harm themselves. In 2014 Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board, which covers my own constituency, identified gambling addiction as a significant concerning issue. It's report 'New and Emerging Threats to the Health of the Gwent Population' suggests that health professionals working in primary care services, alongside mental health and social care, can all play an important role in diagnosis and referral for help. While Wales may have limited powers in terms of gambling regulation, addiction to gambling is increasingly being recognised as a public health concern. It's for this reason that I and several fellow Assembly Members became interested in finding out more about problem gambling in Wales. We decided to commission the University of South Wales to undertake an investigation into the social impacts of problem gambling, as very little Wales-specific data exist. By focusing on Newport, Pontypridd, Wrexham, Vale of Glamorgan and Clwyd South, the report gives us a snapshot of the impact of problem gambling across the country. As Assembly Members, we were concerned at the anecdotal evidence from constituents relating to problem gambling. We felt that it was an ever-increasing problem that led to personal struggles, alcohol dependency, poor health, family breakdown, debt, poverty and homelessness.
Welsh: Mae'n destun pryder fod Cymdeithas y Plant wedi amcangyfrif bod disgwyl i 43 y cant o deuluoedd yng Nghymru fenthyca mwy o arian i dalu am y Nadolig - y gyfran uchaf o holl ranbarthau'r DU. Gall hapchwarae gyflwyno llwybr dianc deniadol i'r rhai sy'n daer i dalu dyled yr aed iddi yn ystod cyfnod y Nadolig. I lawer, ni fydd effaith ariannol boenus y Nadolig i'w theimlo tan y flwyddyn newydd. Mae mis Chwefror bob amser yn dangos cynnydd sydyn mewn cyfraddau gamblo, wrth i'r biliau credyd gyrraedd ar gyfer sawl mis yn gynharach. Mae unigolion sy'n wynebu pwysau ariannol eithafol yn fwy tebygol o feddwl nad oes ganddynt unrhyw beth i'w golli wrth osod bet. Mae arbenigwyr ar broblem hapchwarae, Cyngor ar Bopeth Casnewydd, yn fy etholaeth i, yn darparu un o'r ychydig wasanaethau wyneb yn wyneb ar gyfer pobl sy'n cael trafferth gyda dibyniaeth ar hapchwarae yn benodol. Mae eu gwybodaeth a'u harbenigedd ar broblem hapchwarae yng Nghymru yn amhrisiadwy a hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i'w canmol wrth Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. Gellir diffinio gamblo cymhellol fel sefyllfa lle mae hapchwarae'n tarfu ar neu'n niweidio diddordebau personol, teuluol neu hamdden. Bellach derbynnir yn gyffredinol fod ganddo'r potensial i fod yn anhwylder sy'n debyg i ddibyniaeth ar alcohol neu gyffuriau. Bydd unrhyw un sy'n cael eu caethiwo yn nhrobwll gamblo cymhellol yn canfod ond yn rhy fuan y gall yr effaith negyddol ar eu bywydau fod yn ddinistriol. Y broblem fwyaf uniongyrchol ac amlwg fel arfer yw dod o hyd i arian i gamblo, a daw hynny â digon o broblemau yn ei sgil. Ond mae ysfa ddifäol i gamblo ar unrhyw gost yn arwain at anawsterau sy'n effeithio ar gyflogaeth, ansawdd bywyd, cydberthnasau teuluol ac iechyd corfforol a meddyliol. Nododd y Comisiwn Hapchwarae fod mwy na 2 filiwn o bobl yn y DU naill ai'n gamblwyr cymhellol neu mewn perygl o ddibyniaeth a rhybuddiodd nad oedd Llywodraeth y DU a'r diwydiant yn gwneud digon i fynd i'r afael â'r broblem hon. Mae Carolyn Harris AS, sydd wedi bod yn ymgyrchydd dygn ar gamblo cymhellol, wedi codi'r mater yn gyson yn San Steffan, gan ddweud nad yw'r broblem yn mynd i ddiflannu; yn wir, mae'n mynd yn waeth. Mae hi ac eraill wedi bod yn llym iawn eu beirniadaeth o'r diwydiant, yn arbennig y nifer fawr o beiriannau hapchwarae ods sefydlog, sydd wedi dod i gael eu hadnabod fel cocên crac hapchwarae. Mae adnabod gamblo cymhellol yn hollbwysig os yw unigolyn i gael cymorth. I rai pobl, mae cydnabod problem yn syml. I lawer o unigolion, fodd bynnag, ni chafwyd diagnosis o gamblo cymhellol, ac mae'n aml yn cydfodoli â dyled, problemau iechyd meddwl neu gamddefnyddio sylweddau. I'r rhai sy'n troi at hapchwarae mewn cyfnodau anodd yn bersonol ac yn ariannol, gall y demtasiwn i beryglu'r cyfan yn y gobaith o ennill fod yn ormod. Gwaethygir y broblem, gan fod dyledion hapchwarae sylweddol yn aml yn cronni'n gyfrinachol heb yn wybod i'r teulu. Mae effaith datgelu'r ddyled gudd hon yn wirioneddol ddinistriol ar unigolion a theuluoedd. Gall effeithio'n negyddol ar iechyd a lles partneriaid, plant a chyfeillion. Gall y niwed ymestyn hefyd i gynnwys cyflogwyr, cymunedau a'r economi. Bydd niferoedd y rhai sy'n dioddef niwed o ganlyniad i hapchwarae gan eraill yn sylweddol fwy na nifer y bobl sy'n niweidio'u hunain. Yn 2014, nododd Bwrdd Iechyd Lleol Aneurin Bevan, sy'n cynnwys fy etholaeth fy hun, fod dibyniaeth ar hapchwarae yn fater sy'n peri pryder sylweddol. Mae ei adroddiad, 'New and Emerging Threats to the Health of the Gwent Population', yn awgrymu y gall gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol sy'n gweithio mewn gwasanaethau gofal sylfaenol, ochr yn ochr â gofal iechyd meddwl a gofal cymdeithasol, chwarae rôl bwysig mewn diagnosis ac atgyfeirio am gymorth. Er mai pwerau cyfyngedig sydd gan Gymru mewn perthynas â rheoliadau hapchwarae, mae dibyniaeth ar hapchwarae'n cael ei chydnabod yn gynyddol fel pryder iechyd cyhoeddus. Am y rheswm hwnnw, tyfodd fy niddordeb i a sawl cyd-Aelod Cynulliad mewn darganfod mwy am gamblo cymhellol yng Nghymru. Penderfynasom gomisiynu Prifysgol De Cymru i gynnal ymchwiliad i effeithiau cymdeithasol gamblo cymhellol, gan mai ychydig iawn o ddata a geir sy'n benodol i Gymru. Drwy ganolbwyntio ar Gasnewydd, Pontypridd, Wrecsam, Bro Morgannwg a De Clwyd, mae'r adroddiad yn rhoi cipolwg inni ar effaith gamblo cymhellol ar draws y wlad. Fel Aelodau Cynulliad, roeddem yn pryderu ynghylch y dystiolaeth anecdotaidd gan etholwyr mewn perthynas â gamblo cymhellol. Roeddem yn teimlo ei bod yn broblem gynyddol a arweiniai at frwydrau personol, dibyniaeth ar alcohol, iechyd gwael, teuluoedd yn chwalu, dyledion, tlodi a digartrefedd.