Coroner Emma Whitting has sent the Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report to the Gambling Commission and the gambling self-exclusion scheme GAMSTOP following the inquest into the death of 54-year-old Steve Goff from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, who took his own life in August 2025 after struggling for many years with a gambling addiction.

Despite having taken proactive steps to protect himself by signing up to the GAMSTOP self-exclusion scheme in 2024, to exclude himself from online gambling with licensed operators, Steve was able to continue gambling online, both with unlicensed gambling operators and with National Lottery draw products, which are not covered by the scheme. Steve continued gambling with the National Lottery until shortly before he died. The final payment from his bank account, two days before his death, was made to the National Lottery Draw.

At the inquest, held at Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner’s Court on 7th July 2026, the coroner concluded that Steve’s death was caused by Gambling Disorder and gambling with licensed and unlicensed operators.

The inquest heard evidence from his family that he was a loving father who had achieved great success in life, both personally and professionally. However, they told the hearing that they believed Steve had an undiagnosed Gambling Disorder and that this was the root cause of his death. They gave evidence about the extensive efforts which Steve had made over many years to escape his addiction, including by self-excluding through GAMSTOP, attending both Gamblers Anonymous meetings, the latter of which he found particularly helpful, and by seeking mental health support. They believed that, ultimately, Steve had felt unable to escape his addiction and the continued cycle of self-destruction which it caused. They raised their concerns with the coroner that Steve’s registration with GAMSTOP had not protected him from a relapse of his gambling problems by gambling with unlicensed providers and with the National Lottery.

In the Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report, Coroner Emma Whitting raised the following concerns about the GAMSTOP scheme:

• Whilst Steve had successfully excluded himself from gambling with all licensed operators via GAMSTOP, this had not excluded him from gambling on-line with the National Lottery Draw because consumers, even when participating in the National Lottery Draw on-line, are not protected by the GAMSTOP scheme. Instead, the National Lottery Licence requires consumers to complete a separate self-exclusion process.

• Despite self-excluding from all on-line licensed gambling operators in 2018 and again in 2024 via GAMSTOP, Steve continued to gamble on-line with the National Lottery Draw and, indeed, his last bank payment from his almost depleted bank account prior to his death was to the National Lottery Draw.

• By not including online gambling with the National Lottery Draw in the GAMSTOP scheme, there is a risk that consumers having self-excluded via GAMSTOP will still gamble on-line with the National Lottery Draw.

In a response to the Prevention of Future Deaths report, the Gambling Commission stated that it is working with Allwyn Entertainment Limited (AEL), the company which operates the National Lottery, and GAMSTOP to consider how best to address the coroner’s concerns. It has begun a ‘discovery’ phase, which is expected to conclude within twelve months, before deciding what if any action will be taken. GAMSTOP confirmed that regulatory decisions are a matter for the Gambling Commission but that it is working with the Commission and AEL in response to the coroner’s concerns.

The inquest into Steve’s death is the eighth inquest since 2022 in which gambling has been recorded as contributing to a self-inflicted death and the fifth in 2026 alone. It is also the third case in 2026, following the inquests into the deaths of Oliver Long and Ellen Mulvey, in which gambling with unlicensed operators has been found to have contributed to a death.

Steve’s family are represented by Dan Webster, human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, with Helena Hart-Watson. Counsel is Jesse Nicholls of Matrix Chambers.  The family are being supported by the charity Gambling with Lives. 

Steve’s daughter, Freya Goff, said: 

“We welcome the coroner’s Prevention of Future Deaths report which highlights the glaring omission that National Lottery gaming products are not covered by the GAMSTOP self-exclusion scheme. Along with the huge numbers of unlicenced online gambling sites, many of which target people using GAMSTOP, this seems to us to be a gaping hole in the self-exclusion system designed to protect people with a gambling addiction.

"Gambling did not define Steve, it is not how he will be remembered, but it is what took his life. He would have wanted to raise awareness of the devastating consequence of gambling on families’ lives, including the significantly increased risk of suicide.”

Steve’s daughter, Madeleine Goff, said:

“Steve was deeply loved by his family and friends. He was a joyful and optimistic person, despite his addiction, and he never failed to make us laugh. As a family, we want to ensure that these loopholes in the system are permanently closed and that there is much greater awareness, understanding and protections from gambling harm so no other family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one as a result of gambling.”

The family’s solicitor Dan Webster from Leigh Day said:

"Steve’s tragic death raises very serious concerns about the systems which are in place to protect people like him who self-exclude from gambling in an effort to escape their addiction. It is highly concerning that someone in Steve’s position can continue to be targeted by unlicensed operators and to access licensed gambling products via the National Lottery after self-excluding. It is vital that the Gambling Commission takes the concerns raised by the coroner seriously and takes action promptly before further deaths occur.

"It should also be recognised that, as was reflected in the coroner’s conclusion, the causes of the harm which Steve suffered went far beyond his gambling with the National Lottery. His case illustrates that greater action is urgently needed from the Government and the Gambling Commission to prevent gambling-related deaths and to tackle the harm being caused by both licensed and unlicensed operators.”

Chloe Long from Gambling with Lives said:

“Steve’s death is another tragic example of the devastating and fatal impact of gambling harm. Every day, at least one person in the UK loses their life to gambling. At Gambling with Lives, bereaved families continue to call on the Government to curb the addictive products and predatory marketing that are driving this public health crisis.”