UK man wins payout after drug left him a gambling addict
LONDON—A British man who became a compulsive gambler and shopper after he was prescribed a medication for restless leg syndrome has received a $88,000 settlement from his doctor, his lawyers said on Friday.
Philip Stevens, 66, was prescribed Ropinirole—a dopamine antagonist medication—in 2017 but was not warned of known possible side effects such as impulse control disorder.
He had previously enjoyed going to horse races but had always been “careful” with his bets.
But after taking the medication his gambling “spiraled out of control” and he regularly made bets on his smartphone and even woke up in the middle of the night to place a wager.
He also started shopping compulsively for clothes and became obsessed with purchasing excessive amounts of fishing equipment.
‘Became compulsive’
“Over the four years that Philip took Ropinirole, he spent thousands of pounds on online gambling websites,” a spokesperson for legal firm Leigh Day solicitors said.
“His gambling became compulsive, and he was betting on anything he could and stopped caring about winning altogether,” she added.
Stevens halted the medication on the advice of another doctor, a neurologist, and his compulsive behaviors stopped.
