SOURCE: www.sundaymirror.co.uk

Air travellers will soon be able to gamble during flights - as airlines introduce on-board casinos from next year.

Passengers on long-haul journeys will be able to log on to the internet and stake cash on games including poker, blackjack and roulette.

But the decision has been widely criticised by the anti-gambling lobby.

A spokesman for the charity Gamcare - which provides help to people suffering addictions - said: "Clearly these games will attract people sitting on a flight for hours on end who don't normally bother with betting online."

"There is a real danger that people who don't normally take an interest in gambling will be attracted to this service."

"The increasingly liberal laws are leading to a rise in the number of people becoming addicted to betting."

The casinos will be provided by the world's biggest online gambling company, 888.com, which already rakes in £1.2billion a year from Britons.

Passengers will be able to use their in-flight TV screens to access the online casinos.

After selecting an option on their screen, they will be guided to an 888.com website where they can use a credit card to place bets.

British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific have signed up to the scheme and others are expected to follow.

Gigi Levy, of 888.com, said: "This will attract more players in more places every day."

Gamcare have urged 888.com to introduce caps on the amount people can bet and the time they spend on games.

Advances in technology mean all airline companies will have the chance to offer passengers internet access from next year.

Gambling - the facts

There are 510,000 gambling addicts in UK.

Seven out of 10 adults have had a flutter in the last year.

Six million Brits gamble online every month.

Northern England has the most gamblers with 35 percent making bets compared to 29 percent in the South and 27 percent in the Midlands.