Britain’s soaring £50bn a year gambling habit is a ‘good thing’ which will lead to the opening of more casinos, says the gambling industry’s leading academic.

Figures released from a report by Prof Leighton Vaughan Williams, director of the betting unit at Nottingham Trent University, caused widespread shock when they showed a seven-fold increase in gambling turnover since 2001.

This was the date at which the Government abolished betting tax, instead relying on betting firms paying them a 15 per cent levy on bookies’ profits.

Since then the internet and increased television coverage have increased competition in the bookmaking market immeasurably and given punters access to more games and more sports.