As a compulsive gambler for near on two decades, I took the massive step last year to finally quit. Spending my days glued to one screen or another looking for scores on sports you’ve never heard of, scraping together pennies when I had none to place that one bet you’d never known possible or pawning my latest gadget for a few extra quid. The life of a gambling with little to no control over his own life.
How I lost £100k as a compulsive gambler
Recovery diary seven months on
Celebrating one year gamble free
Just over one year of hard toil and I am proud to say I have remained gamble free since the last bet was placed in October 2024. I realise it is a continuous struggle to stay that way and I have to never let my guard down. The life I led as that person was not a good one and I do not wish to go back there. I still get the tiniest of twinges when sports are on, particularly ones I have historically placed bets on. It’s not a major urge but it is still there. I know I have to keep my wits about me. That’s where software blockers such as Gamban are fantastic. I literally cannot access anything related to gambling (other than support sites) on any of my devices. So if I ever get an overwhelming urge or even a little one, I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to. That is definitely a lifesaver as I have never been in a position where I have to make the choice.
Having gambled non-stop for all that time, I have made bad choices a few times. I have used people, taken money, sold things, stolen money… and that’s where we’re at here.
Recently I submitted a Subject Access Request (SAR) to Bet365 for all the details they hold about me and my account. Anybody can ask for a SAR if a company holds details about you. The results I got back were interesting, if not unbelievable.
The summary of my sixteen year association with them showed that I had deposited a mammoth £69k and withdrawn a total of £41k, giving an insane loss of £18k. What’s more insane than that? Well, the fact that I had placed a mammoth £590k in bets over that period. Half a million pounds. I’m left flabbergasted.
None of that was the reason I needed this info though. I wanted to check out an incident which happened twelve years ago. I decided it would be a great idea to steal my friend’s bank card and use it to bet with. I’m not proud of that at all. It was despicable. It has all long been sorted and we’re still friends now. However, I thought it was about time that Bet365 was held accountable for their actions – or non actions – at that time.
Checking through all the transactions I found a total of eleven deposits totalling £450 made using my friend’s bank card. After five days of going on a gambling spending spree I decided enough was enough and called time on myself committing this crime. I contacted Bet365 to tell them what I had done. There response? They simply removed that card from my account and allowed me to continue being a member and depositing, betting, for the next twelve years.
Their actions should undoubtedly have included closing my account and perhaps even reporting me. What they didn’t do was any of that, but not only that they failed to recognise me as a problem gambler and profited from my problem for twelve years, to the tune of approximately £5000.
I realise my actions are my own doing and I’d never try to shift blame. I take accountability for everything. However, gambling companies prey on the vulnerable. They profit from people like myself. If only people in control used their services they’d go out of business.
