A former gambling addict has lifted the lid on his destructive habit, revealing that he often blew his entire monthly paycheck within 48 hours.
Adam Wood, 24, started gambling at the age 16, with small bets placed on football matches.
But while this seemed harmless at the time, it ended up being the first step on a devastating journey of addiction that would result in debt collectors turning up at his front door.
At the age of 18, Adam began betting on horse races and managed to find some good luck - winning £450 at one of his first outings.
So, he carried on, and the frequency of his bets started to get out of control.
At first, it seemed to be going well, but his bets were starting to increase in number and eventually, his winning streak came to an end.
Before he knew it, Adam was gambling money that he didn't feel comfortable losing and even started dipping into his savings to fund his growing addiction.
Eventually, Adam got to the point where he was gambling away his monthly paycheck within the space of 48 hours.
"All of it went into gambling," he told LADbible. "I was at work five days a week and I couldn’t afford my train ticket any more. I couldn’t afford food when I was at work. Mates wanted me to come out with them on weekends, but I couldn’t afford that."
He said that his addiction led him from being in a "really nice position" to "suddenly desperate".
But the prospect of a big win kept him coming back.
“I knew gambling was the cause of all this but there was a part of me that so desperately wanted to do it again because I’d lost so much and surely there was a winner coming," he said.
Adam ended up chasing a winning streak for four years and began leaning on payday loans to uphold his addiction.
At the point of his final bet, he had taken out 15 or 16 loans and was maxed out on two credit cards, along with an overdrawn bank account.
It all came to a head in March 2020 when his parents answered the door to debt collectors who were hunting Adam for his overdue repayments.
"I didn’t really know what to say or how to react," he said. "I had to come clean about what happened."
Adam hasn't placed a bet since that day and credited his family for helping him get clean from his addiction.
"To see (my mum) break down in front of me over something I’ve done and all the damage I’ve caused is something I’ll never forget," he said.
Adam went on to put his energy into running and set up a social media page titled 'The Fun Stopped - I Didn't' to share about his recovery process.
He also helps others break their habit - often spending hours on the phone with people trying to talk them out of placing a bet - and encouraged anyone struggling with addiction to reach out for help.
If you are struggling with a gambling addiction, you can call GamCare on 0808 8020 133 to speak to an adviser for free. The service is available 24/7.
READ MORE:
