I have noticed an increasing number of ads for on-line betting websites -and that worries me.

Their level of cynicism is breath-taking. ‘Our app has built in ‘pauses’ to ensure you ‘take a break’ and ‘our app allows you to pre-set your spending limit’ alongside pictures of happy smiling users laughing together and celebrating their wins.

We all know the reality is something different and, if I could, I would add in a ‘truth alert’. ‘Our app has built in pauses to slow the rate at which you lose your money’, ‘Our app allows you to pre-set how much money you will lose each time you play’.

The odds are stacked against users so, as long as you can keep them playing, you know they will eventually lose – the odds are stacked against them!

I am not advocating temperance and I enjoy playing the lottery, but I also know that gambling is every bit as addictive as drugs and that these so called ‘tools’ are as about as effective as the filter tips on cigarettes.

As our world moves relentlessly into a digital age new dangers continue to emerge. In addition to protecting ourselves and our loved ones we also need to work out how best to protect not only the next generation but also our parents’ generation – they are just as much targets.