More than half of Sheffielders gamble. Can a new clinic help those with a problem?

“We can pluck one or two people out of the river, but when the industry is putting thousands in, it feels like a tsunami.”

Do you gamble? Odds on you do. According to one survey, 60% of Sheffielders have gambled in the last twelve months — making us more partial to a flutter than the inhabitants of Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham or Newcastle.

The language we use to describe gambling — take a punt, roll the dice, chance your arm — depicts gambling as a fun leisure activity. And for some, it is. But the statistics suggest gambling is a big, and growing, problem for many in our city. The NHS has become so concerned that this year it opened a clinic here specifically to treat problem gamblers.

Today we go inside, and meet those trying to help, as well as those looking to escape from a spiral of addiction. As always with our Thursday pieces, you’ll have to be a member to read it. No gamble here though — with 92% of you telling us in our recent survey that you trust us to tell you the truth, good quality local news is nailed on. Plus you’ll get our insider recommendations at the end for the best weekend Sheffield has to offer.

Your Tribune briefing

🍲 More bad news for the city’s embattled restaurant scene, as the only local restaurant to ever receive a Michelin star goes into liquidation. The Old Vicarage in Ridgeway was opened by owner Tessa Bramley in 1988 and awarded a star a decade later, which it sadly lost in 2015, although it remained in the Michelin Guide. While the restaurant doesn’t appear to have made a public statement, other than posting a photo of sea bass on Instagram two days ago, a liquidator stated that the insolvency is “primarily due to the long-lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly increased operating costs, and mounting repayment pressures from HMRC”. Read our piece on the city’s culinary chops here.

⚽ Our thoughts are with the loved ones of former Sheffield United defender George Baldock, who has died at the age of 31. Baldock was found dead in the swimming pool at his home in southern Athens, although the ultimate cause of his death remains unknown. Sheffield United paid tribute to its former player, who had been with the club for seven years before departing to play for the national team in Greece this summer. He was, the club wrote, “extremely popular with supporters, staff and teammates who pulled on a red and white shirt alongside him. The sincere condolences of everyone associated with Sheffield United are extended to George’s family and friends.”

🌪️ Hurricane Milton is causing concern over in the US — but here in Sheffield, the BBC has maybe got a bit carried away. Today’s weather forecast for the steel city predicts “hurricane force winds” of over 3,000 miles per hour, enough to wipe Sheffield from the face of the earth. Be careful out there.