Placing a bet on sports results, the spin of a slot machine, lottery tickets, scratch cards or bingo can be a bit of fun which quickens the pulse.

A recent survey by the Gambling Commission found that in Wales, more than 60 per cent of people gambled in 2015.

 However there is a point where gambling can become a serious problem.

The same survey found 3.8 per cent of people in Wales are at a low or moderate risk of developing addiction problems with their gambling, while 1.1 per cent had already become problem gamblers.

 The figures might seem small as a percentage, but the total number of problem gamblers in Wales alone is likely to be more than 33,000.

The number of people at risk of developing a problem could be more than 116,000.

 Statistically, someone in Wales is slightly more at risk of developing or having a problem with gambling than someone in England or Scotland. It is a problem we can and must face up to in Wales.

 Although it is easy to point out a problem, it is often much harder to point to a solution and problem gambling is no exception. It is claimed that fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in bookmaker’s shops are the 'crack cocaine of gambling’.

 It is true that reducing stake limits and bet frequency on those machines will be a part of a solution, but the problem is much bigger than FOBTs alone. Only 19 per cent of problem gamblers in Wales use them.

 By far the top activity of problem gamblers is spread betting (29.6 per cent), but dog and horse racing, sports events, private betting, casinos, poker clubs along with many other forms of gambling are common.

 NHS research has found that problem gamblers have a range of mental health issues including anxiety and depression. Their financial issues cause stress, and some problem gamblers turn to alcoholism.

 Any attempt to tackle this issue must look at the problem in its entirety.

There must be an independent review which brings together the entire sector which consults with betting companies, lottery operators, internet providers, anti-gambling campaigners and the NHS.

 Until we hold a detailed, large-scale review of this problem, we can make no mistake that it will continue.

We owe it to the thousands of families and children affected by problem gambling to deal with the problem.