THE number of people attending Gamblers Anonymous (GA) meetings around the country has doubled and in some places trebled over the past six months as people can no longer afford their betting habits.

A SERIES of information meetings is being held this month by Gamblers Anonymous to highlight the growth of problem gambling and the havoc it can cause in the lives of individuals and their families.

Gamblers Anonymous Awareness Week gets under way today amid increasing numbers of people seeking help since the introduction of internet gambling, new casinos and longer opening hours for bookmakers.

POKER firm PartyGaming’s recent stock market launch gave investors a taste for gambling and rivals seem to be queuing up to cash in on its success.

Two Palestinian suicide bombers infiltrated a closely-guarded port, killing 11 Israelis in the first deadly attack on a strategic installation in more than three years of Middle East fighting.