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Online casinos wicked – coroner

Spiralling debt leads to suicide

A coroner has described Internet casinos as wicked following the suicide of a man who ran up debts of more than £53,000 online.

Mario Opalka of Blackburn, Lancashire, turned to gambling following the death of his wife from cancer in September 2000.

Although he won significant sums initially, Mr Opalka began to lose out amassing the debt after acquiring 19 credit cards, some with credit limits of up to £6,000.

As he lost more and more cash he applied for more and credit cards.

Mr Opalka committed suicide in January this year.

The Guardian reports that deputy coroner Carolyn Singleton described Internet casinos as "wicked", saying that they "taken advantage of a man who had been left vulnerable by traumatic events".

Now his son Jonathan wants to know why there were no checks in place to prevent Mr Opalka's spiralling debt, the newspaper reports today. ®

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