‘I spent 22,500 in two hours’: Gambling addict racked up 100k debt betting on sports he ‘knew nothing about’ – My London

With the return of the Euros, football has dominated public attention and conversation.

The highly-anticipated event is not without controversy, due to the close relationship between the sport and betting.

For those who have struggled with a gambling addiction, the return of the highly-publicised event is a concerning trigger.

READ MORE: Londoner started walking to help his mental health - now 50 men join him

Despite ITV announcing that gambling adverts would be reduced during the games, they have faced heavy criticism suggesting that this is not enough.

With an estimated 250-650 gambling-related suicides each year in the UK, according to Gambling With Lives, during the time of the Euros competition at least 30 people will likely lose their lives in this way.

GamCare, which operates the National Gambling Helpline, has revealed that during and post major sporting events there is an increase in calls to the helpline.

For recovered gambling addicts like 39-year-old Chris Bilham, the event is a stark reminder of the serious consequences that can grow from football betting.

GamCare

GamCare offers free information, support and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK. It runs the National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133 and also offers face-to-face counselling.

http://www.gamcare.org.uk

Gamblers Anonymous UK

Gamblers Anonymous UK runs local support groups that use the same 12-step approach to recovery from addiction as Alcoholics Anonymous.

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org.uk

GamAnon

A support group for family and friends, run by the people behind Gamblers Anonymous.

http://www.gamanon.org.uk

BeGambleAware

A website that gives advice on gambling responsibly.

http://www.begambleaware.org

Samaritans

A 24-hour service for those feeling suicidal. Call 116 123.

http://www.samaritans.org

Chris addiction began when he was 30, when he was enticed to start placing bets on football games.

In just five years Chris would rack up debts of 100,000 and face suicidal thoughts as he contemplated taking his own life.

He said: For me it went from that app I downloaded, to five years later sitting in my sister-in-laws house one night, having spent every penny I had, having taken loans out from the bank, to wanting to take my life.

What started as seemingly innocent fun, heavily advertised as a normal and enjoyable pastime, quickly led Chris down a path of addiction.

No longer just placing bets on football games he followed closely here in the UK, Chris even placed bets on sports he had no knowledge of, such as an Australian womens league game.

The addiction quickly spread in a matter of weeks to online casinos where he began to wager higher sums on live roulette, blackjack and slots, often causing him to miss work and family time to gamble.

MyLondons brilliant new newsletter The 12 is packed with news, views, features and opinion from across the city.

Every day well send you a free email at around 12pm with 12 stories to keep you entertained, informed and uplifted. Its the perfect lunchtime read.

The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our 45 journalists cover all the news you need - from City Hall to your local streets.

Never miss a moment by signing up to The 12 newsletter here.

I accidentally stumbled upon gambling, he said. At first there were a few people doing the odd sweepstake at work and I started to take part, and got involved with EuroMillions and the lottery.

Ive always been a big sports fan, and I was watching it on TV and I noticed the advertising, and there were so many adverts at the time, of people having fun with their friends, and it made gambling look so very normal.

Chris, who works as a commercial manager for Transport for London, said the tone of these adverts that he was seeing made him feel like he had to gamble more or would miss out on the opportunity.

It feels like if you dont do it youre going to miss an opportunity, and that got into my mind, he said.

After downloading betting apps to bet on sports games, Chris quickly was exposed to the more dangerous product of online casino gambling through cross-selling on the apps.

It doesnt take much, from my experience, to move from that first initial bet, to being consumed 24 hours a day thinking how am I going to get money, he explained.

Within weeks, as somebody whod never watched a horse race, I was at work locking myself in a meeting room and Id have the horse racing betting on horses I knew nothing about.

Once I was in I couldnt get out.

Chris now speaks out about the harm caused by betting adverts within sports such as football, and is trying to raise awareness of the serious consequences.

He said: It's so normalised within the world we live in nowadays. You see it all day everyday on the TV, and now you see gambling ads throughout the football.

Adverts tell you its fun, it isnt. Its terrible. Its a massive public health issue.

He has called the whistle-to-whistle ban shallow, saying its not enough at all.

He said: The industry tries to push all the responsibility onto the gambler, but they dont take into account that they are the one providing a hugely addictive product, which theyre marketing really strongly at people. They say you could set a limit or have a time out, but no I couldnt I was addicted."

Get the latest London news straight on your phone without having to open your browser - and get all the latest breaking news as notifications on your screen.

The MyLondon app gives you all the stories you need to help you keep on top of what's happening in the best city ever.

You can download it on Android here and Apple here.

There should be responsibility on the operator's side to look after people who are very obviously addicted, he added.

Chris eventually was able to get help following a particularly bad period where he spent 22,500 in just over two hours, after taking out a 25,000 loan.

He has not gambled in over three years and now co-hosts a gambling addiction recovery podcast called All Bets Are Off , as well as co-founding the non-profit organisation TalkGen .

Chris important work shines light on the serious negative impacts that gambling can have on people's lives, and shows that the high profile of betting within football can have real harmful consequences on the people watching.

I dont want anyone to have to go through what I went through, Chris added.

Originally posted here:

'I spent 22,500 in two hours': Gambling addict racked up 100k debt betting on sports he 'knew nothing about' - My London