One fifth of gamblers have risked their wages in an attempt to raise enough money to pay their household bills, Scottish government research has revealed.

The research, carried out by YouGov, has uncovered widespread worry about finances as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, as well as the desperate measures being taken by some people to make ends meet.

It showed that 58 per cent of people in Scotland had gambled in the past year, including on various lottery draws.

Of these, 19 per cent had risked the money that they had in order to try to win more to cover the essentials, including 9 per cent of people in the ABC1 demographic, which is middle-class and managerial positions. In response to another