"We are pushing the industry to know its customers, and part of this is actually, possibly, a good sign because it's suggesting that consumers are demanding more of the gambling operators. And I would encourage them to continue to do that," he said.

The industry has expanded rapidly since the government relaxed restrictions on betting and advertising in 2007.

Gamblers are now losing almost twice as much to the betting companies as they were a decade ago. Last year, punters lost a record £14.5bn.

The biggest rise has been in online gambling, where new games and products have attracted new customers.

Amanda, not her real name, doesn't want to be identified. She was in her 50s when she started betting on an online site called Jackpotjoy.

She gambled away all her money from the sale of her home. When her father died, she inherited a share of his house, and she lost that on Jackpotjoy as well.