I am delighted to release our Annual Report for 2017 (opens in a new window).  
Special thanks to the Community Foundation for Ireland for funding the development of this report. 

Key Achievements in 2017 (summarised):

• Website: Website traffic more than doubled, year on year, compared to 2016.  This meant an increase from 11,169 unique visitors to 25,675.  
  
• Awareness Raising: Media engagements included: Clare FM, The Journal, RTE Liveline, The Irish Daily Mail, The
  Last Word, The Times Ireland, Newstalk Breakfast, The Irish Times, WLR, RTE Six One, Kildare FM, Ocean FM, Midwest Radio, Flourish Magazine, Near FM, Irish Examiner.  
  
• Helpline: Our helpline service, which operates on a ‘call-back’ basis, due to limited resources, had 1,007 engagements in 2017. These were quite evenly split between phone calls and email/text message/direct messages (on social media). Roughly half of these engagements were from concerned persons, with the other half coming from people with gambling problems.
  
• Gambling Harm-Prevention Talks: We delivered talks in a variety of settings around the country, including secondary schools, GAA clubs and Colleges. Young people are a high-risk group for developing gambling problems. We would like to thank the following for inviting us to speak: DIT Bolton Street; Colaiste Muire, Ennis; UCD Social Innovation Bootcamp; ‘We Need to Talk About Gambling’ Conference (Dublin); Presentation College Cork (Parents
  Committee); Freshford GAA Club; Sarsfields GAA Club; Athlone IT; Trinity College.
  
• Training Delivery: Our one-day training course, Foundation in Problem Gambling Assessment & Brief Interventions, was accredited by the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland for Continuing Education Units, in June 2017. We delivered the course to staff at Ballyfermot Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force and Dublin Simon Community, later in the year.
  
• Research: Senior Sophister Trinity College Business Students of Social Innovation and Social Impact surveyed 514 secondary school students (4th, 5th and 6th Year) in four schools.  They found that 67% of students surveyed had already gambled and that 75% stated they had faced no restrictions in relation to their age, when accessing gambling services.    [It is worth noting that the Trinity students had difficulty accessing 6th Year students for their survey, due to Leaving Certificate preparations – and most survey participants were from 4th and 5th Year.  
• Research: In September 2017, we attended the Transition Year Expo in Kildare. At the Expo, we conducted a gambling behaviour and attitudes survey of 240 Transition Year students.  97% of the students were aged 16 or younger. Roughly half (52.5%) of the students stated that they had already gambled.  Of those students who had gambled, the most popular form of gambling was scratch cards (59.7%). It is also worth noting the popularity of race-track betting, in third place at 34.5%.  There is currently no age limit for Tote betting in Ireland. We urge the government to remedy this situation as soon as possible.
  
• Funding: Problem Gambling Ireland received €20,000 in grant funding from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland in 2017.  We also received €2,700 in funding from the Sisters of Mercy Solidarity Trust Fund, in order to deliver a pilot family programme (which was delivered in 2018).  We generated an additional €1,150 in traded income.  Further details of our finances are available in the Annual Report.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our service-users, volunteers, funders, friends and supporters and wish all of you a happy and healthy 2019.  

Barry Grant
CEO, Problem Gambling Ireland 

The recent fine by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), of Paddy Power Betfair, for failures to protect customers with gambling problems, highlights the pressing need for gambling regulation in Ireland.  In the last year, the  UKGC has handed out just over £15.5 million in fines to gambling companies, licensed to operate there, for similar breaches.  Many of these companies are also licensed to operate in Ireland - where we have no regulator.  I shudder to think what types of breaches are occurring in Ireland, in the absence of any regulation.   If the allegations, made by heartbroken family members, who regularly contact our helpline service, are anything to go by - sharp practices by gambling operators are prevalent in the Irish market.  

The Government have failed to progress Fine Gael's 2013 Gambling Control Bill, even to the First Stage (of 11).  They have also failed to honour their commitment under the National Policy Framework for Children & Young People (2014 - 2020), which states that "the Government commits to take appropriate measures to protect young people from gambling-related risks".  

The recent increase in Betting Duty was an ideal opportunity for the Government to allocate funding to the treatment and prevention of problem gambling in Ireland, for the first time - and, yet, no funding allocation was announced by the Minister for Finance.  In fact, the only beneficiary of the increase will be the Horse Racing and Greyhound Fund, which, to date, has received €1.2 billion (since 2001).  Meanwhile, a recent study by Professor Colin O'Gara, found that only one of the HSE's nine CHO regions provided adequate supports to people affected by problem gambling.  The HSE, in fact, don't even mention the word 'gambling' in their Service Plan.  

There is an urgent need for interim funding for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling in Ireland.  The Gambling Control Bill outlines a Social Fund, which will fulfil this role, but, based on the lack of progress of the Bill, to date, and the snail's pace with which the Public Health Alcohol Bill progressed, I will not be holding my breath for that Fund to come online.  Our Government must acknowledge the harm that is caused by problem gambling; to the individual, family, community and at a societal level. The tens of thousands of people in Ireland experiencing gambling-related harm need -  and deserve -  immediate action. 

Barry Grant
CEO Problem Gambling Ireland

A few weeks ago, we sent our pre-budget submission, in collaboration with The Rutland Centre, to Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and the members of the Finance Committee.

In it, we detailed the urgent need for statutory funding of problem gambling services in Ireland.  At the time of writing, there is no statutory funding stream for problem gambling research, prevention or treatment.  It's also worth noting that the word 'gambling' doesn't appear once in the HSE's Service Plan.  

The submission urges the Minister for Finance to increase Betting Duty to 2%, from the current 1% rate.  Those of you of a similar age to me (46) will remember when Betting Duty was 20%, then 10%, then 5%, then 2%.  Returning the rate to 2% would bring in an additional €50 million to the exchequer.  This could be used to fund numerous state services, as well as developing a dedicated fund for problem gambling services.  

Here are some of the main points from the submission:

• There are estimated to be between 28,000 and 40,000 problem gamblers in Ireland. 
• For every person with a gambling problem, an additional 8-10 people’s lives are negatively affected.
• Ireland has the highest gambling losses, per resident adult, in Europe – the third highest in the world. 
• There is currently no statutory funding for problem gambling treatment, prevention or research.
• The HSE does not include gambling addiction in its 2018 Service Plan.
• The financial cost to the exchequer of problem gambling could be somewhere between €21.2 million and €98 million.    
• In 2010, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland stated: “From an economic perspective, evidence suggests that the health and social costs of problem gambling exceed government revenue gained from gambling taxes and businesses”
• Ireland has the lowest Betting Duty in Europe.  Over the past 15 years, while the gambling industry’s profits have increased dramatically, its tax liability has decreased from 5% to 1%.
• The effective turnover tax rate for gambling services in the UK is 2.5%.
• The Government is yet to act on any of its commitments, in relation to problem gambling, in the national policy framework for children & young people, 2014 – 2020 (Better Outcomes Brighter Futures).
• A minimum increase in Betting Duty of 1% would raise in the region of €50 million Euros, which could be allocated to numerous state-funded services, including problem gambling services. This new funding stream for problem gambling services could be an interim measure, until such time as the Social Fund (outlined in the Gambling Control Bill) is active.   

You can read the full pre-budget submission here.  

If you want to see state funding of problem gambling services in Ireland, please consider contacting your TD over the coming weeks.  Contact details for all TDs are available here.  

When I was a kid, my grandparents owned a camping and caravan park in Lahinch, Co. Clare.  In the office, they kept a visitors' book, where the occasional guest would leave comments on their stay - like a stone-age version of Trip Advisor.  One rainy day (of which there were many), my brother and I, bored out of our skulls, decided to read through the visitors' book.  It made for pretty tedious reading, until we came across the following inscription: "It was cold and it rained and I felt like an actor.  And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there'.  Both of us were massive Bowie fans and instantly recognised the quote as coming from his 1972 track 'Five Years'.  The story goes that Bowie had a dream that he would be dead within five years and that this impacted on his behaviour through much of the '70s (including his refusal to get on a plane).  Just seeing this quote, brightened our day.  We felt a special bond with the rain-soaked suffering of this long-gone tourist.  

Five years ago, this week (July 15th 2013), Fine Gael Minster for Justice, Alan Shatter, published the Heads of the Gambling Control Bill.  It is a progressive piece of legislation, which has the capacity to revolutionise how the gambling industry in Ireland does its business, how government regulates that business and how government and NGOs prevent and minimise gambling-related harm.  

So, in the intervening period, what progress has been made?  In a nutshell: none.  Fine  Gael have continued to be the largest party in government and have had a Fine Gael Minister for Justice, the entire time.  You might think that the opposition parties have been holding things up - but nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, Fianna Fail resubmitted the government's own legislation, calling it the Gambling Control Bill 2018, earlier this year, and it has passed to second stage.  The only minor changes to the original Fine  Gael legislation related to a levy on gambling industry turnover.  This is because opposition parties are not allowed to introduce taxes, without permission ( a 'Money Order') from the government.  

When asked, last year, about the delay in progressing their own Bill, the Minister of State with responsibility for gambling, David Stanton,  stated, : "it will require some significant updating to take account of developments since 2013".   This is a cop-out.  There have been no radical changes to the gambling environment since 2013.  The 2013 Bill, if enacted today, would be light-years ahead of the current legislation (1929 Totalisator Act, 1931 Betting Act, 1956 Gaming & Lotteries Act).  In its current format, the 2013 Bill is already more progressive than legislation in operation, at present, in the UK.  The 2013 Bill is perfectly adequate, in its current form, to be enacted - and could always be amended, as new developments in the gambling sector arise.  

Our most recent piece of gambling legislation (1956) pre-dates the establishment of Teilifís Éireann by 5 years.  Just think about that for a second.  It harks back to a time when our nation didn't even have a national television broadcaster.  And the Minister is using minor technological changes as an excuse not to progress legislation.

When I talk to problem gambling service providers from other jurisdictions, they don't believe me when I tell them that it is still perfectly legal for a child of any age to place a bet at the Tote, in any race track in Ireland.  They don't believe me when I tell them that slot machines, which are in operation in countless towns and villages in Ireland, are actually illegal (and that nobody enforces the law).  Most Irish people would struggle to believe that the current maximum legal stake in an amusement arcade is sixpence, or that the current maximum legal payout is ten shillings.  Would you believe me if I told you that the entire tax-take from Betting Duty (roughly €50 million per year) goes to the Horse Racing & Greyhound Fund - while the State has never (ever) put so much as one cent into problem gambling services, or even acknowledged that gambling addiction is a public health issue?  [It's worth noting that the 2018 budget for the Horse Racing & Greyhound Fund was €80,000,000.  This means that, even if you don't gamble, you're still paying for it]

Sometimes I think that our Fine Gael-lead government have been digging out their old Bowie LPs.  Perhaps they take inspiration from that immortal opening line: "Pushing through the market square, so many mothers crying.  News had just come over, we've got five years left to die in".  Maybe they believe that, if they let the Gambling Control Bill fester for long enough, the issues will just go away.  The bad news, though, is that Bowie's premonition was wrong.  He survived long beyond those five years.  

While those of us campaigning for the enactment of fit-for-purpose gambling legislation, want it now - we are prepared to fight for as long as it takes.  Ministries change.  Governments come and go.  That which remains constant is the harm caused by gambling products and services and the impact that it has on individuals, families, communities and the wider society.  

As we head towards another General Election.  Please consider raising this issue with your local TD.  This is the most effective form of lobbying in Ireland.  1 in 10 of us will experience gambling-related harm in our lifetime, either through our own gambling, or that of a loved one.  

Barry Grant
CEO, Problem Gambling Ireland

In addition to the website and helpline service, we also provide outreach services, in the form of talks, workshops and training, nationwide.  Our goal is to have at least one problem gambling specialist providing outreach, counselling and group facilitation services in each county.  
 
Currently, we do not have a core funder, to cover the cost of a full-time helpline service.  This means that, at present, we can only provide a 'call-back' service (as I am unable to take calls while I'm with counselling clients or delivering outreach).  Our fundraising goal for 2018 is €96,000.  This would cover the cost of two full-time staff to provide a full-time helpline and outreach service.  It would also be used to cover travel and other related costs on the outreach service.

When I tell people what I do for a living, someone will usually say: 'You should get the bookies to pay for that'.  And, of course there is a logic to that sentiment: the industry that creates the addictive product should pay to clean up 'their mess'.  At a superficial level, this kind of makes sense.  The problem with this approach, though, is that addiction services end up working for an industry that they are (or should be) in direct conflict with.  International research has shown that between 40% and 60% of gambling industry profits come from people with gambling problems.  There is no business in the world that would willingly exclude half of its customers.  

Pope Francis recently said: “Gambling companies finance campaigns to care for the pathological gamblers that they create.  And the day that the weapons industry finances hospitals to care for the children mutilated by their bombs, the system will have reached its pinnacle.”  Scrape the surface and the conflict of interest is quite clear.  

The Irish Government does not have a funding stream for problem gambling services.  The HSE Service Plan does not mention the word 'gambling' once.  Our proposal (in collaboration with the Rutland Center) that a portion of the Betting Duty, which brings in roughly €50 million per year, could be allocated to problem gambling services (instead of the Horse Racing & Greyhound Fund) was unsuccessful.  

A few months ago, my wife and I went on a research trip to a couple of amusement arcades in Tramore.  I wanted to get a feel for the experience of sitting at a 'one-armed bandit' for a while.  Despite that fact that I grew up on the Meath Road in Bray (100 metres from the prom) and, later, moved to Lahinch in my teens, the gambling sections of the arcades had never held any appeal for me.  I would play video games or hang out with my friends as they pumped their pocket-money into poker machines on wintry west-coast nights.  While I developed many unhealthy habits in my teens, gambling wasn't one of them.  

​So, we gave ourselves a 20 quid limit each and set about playing some of the machines (poker and slots).  As I came to my final 10 cent stake on one of the slot machines, five "7s" appeared before my eyes.  I had won the princely sum of €75 (much to the disdain of the poor woman beside me).  We promptly left the building and our 'free money' paid for dinner. 

As an addiction counsellor, working with clients who have gambling problems, I always ask about a 'Big Win' that stands out in their minds.  For some people it can be tens of thousands, for others it can be in the hundreds.  For some, it is the time they turned 50 pence into £10 at the race-track as a young child,   The 'Big Win' is important as it is often the 'evidence' (or 'logic') that continues to drive the person to gamble, even when they know, deep down, that they cannot gamble their way out of the financial (and/or emotional) hole they are in.  

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is considered to be one of the most effective treatment approaches for problem gambling, focuses, in part, on disputing irrational beliefs.  So, for example, if a person was getting treatment for anxiety or panic attacks, and they had an intense fear of fainting in public places (this is very common), the therapist might explain that this is impossible as fainting is caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure, whereas the Fight or Flight response causes blood pressure to rise.  Quite often, by empowering the person with the knowledge that fainting is not a realistic scenario, anxiety levels can be reduced. 

Unfortunately, with gambling, the person usually has hard, indisputable evidence, that gambling their way out of difficulty is a viable option.  They have done it (to some extent) in the past.  They have clear memories of the 'Big Win' along with other wins and 'winning streaks'.  The fact that it is extremely unlikely to play out that way, gets overridden by this 'evidence' - especially when a person is desperate, anxiety levels are high and their ability to think clearly is impaired (as it is for all of us in stressful situations).  The 'Big Win' also gives that sweet hit of dopamine (the same neurotransmitter that is released when using cocaine).  Just like with cocaine, and other drugs, a tolerance develops and you can find yourself needing to gamble more frequently and with larger amounts of money.  

If we go back to my measly €75 jackpot on the one-arm bandit, it certainly isn't anything to write home about.  However, it was a payout at odds of 750/1.  I now have 'evidence', stored in my memory for all time, that it is possible for me to turn 10 cent into €75.  'Logically', this means that I have  the ability to turn €1 into €750 or €10 into €7500 . . . and so on.  If I were to combine that 'logic' with an emotionally aroused state (stress/anxiety), where I am less likely to be able to control my impulses and make rational decisions - along with a potentially addictive, dopamine-producing activity, like gambling - it's pretty easy to see how I might start thinking that this could be the answer to some (or all) of my problems.  

Does this mean that the 'Big Win' will keep a person gambling problematically forever? Of course not.  The reality is that  a person with a gambling problem has, invariably, had many wins along the way.  Unfortunately, one of the things that separates people with gambling problems from non-problematic gamblers, is the person's inability to walk away with their winnings.  This needs to be the focus of the conversation - because this is where 'logic' goes out the window.  When a person is chasing their losses, they have an overwhelming need to get their money back.  Unfortunately, the same person will usually gamble away their winnings, because they see it as 'free money' or 'the bookie's money'.  Usually, clients will have experienced countless incidents  of this.  I always ask clients, 'What are the chances that you would leave the bookies shop (or casino/arcade), if you won enough money to clear all of your debts?".  The answer is consistently: 'Practically zero'.  This is because a problem gambler is not addicted to winning money - they are addicted to the gambling experience (which only occasionally involves winning money) .  Having money just allows the person more time to get that lovely dopamine hit and self-sooth from Life's problems.  

If you find yourself chasing that 'Big Win' and the feelings that came with it, just remember that money is the least valuable thing you can gamble with.  A gambling problem puts your mental/physical health and relationships at risk.  If you are concerned about your gambling and the impact that it is having on your life, don't suffer in silence.  Help is available.  

Barry Grant, CEO, Problem Gambling Ireland

​How many lies have you told today? How many lies have you told so that you could gamble today? How many lies have you told to keep your gambling hidden from the people around you….your partner, children, parents, brother, sister, friend, team-mate, colleague, employer, the bank, the credit union? How many lies have you told yourself? Maybe you went to sleep last night and your mind was frantic with thoughts of how you could keep things going or believing that, tomorrow, you could have a big win and everything would be ok? Maybe you woke up and those same thoughts were still there, along with a sick feeling in your stomach? 
 
The opportunity to gamble is all around us and technological advances mean that we can gamble in all sorts of ways 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Most people can enjoy an occasional bet but for others there is a downward spiral and what started out with a ‘harmless’ bet ends with financial, psychological and social devastation.  
 
The progression from recreational gambling to problem gambling generally happens in 4 phases:
 
The first phase ‘winning’ begins with social gambling during which, at some point, the individual experiences a big win. The excitement of the win provides a psychological ‘hit’ and winning is seen as easy.  
 
As the gambling becomes more frequent, the law of averages takes over and the person enters the ‘losing’ phase. Some people develop insight and stop gambling completely or return to having an occasional bet. Others are unable to control their gambling and problems develop as it becomes a priority over family, friendship, work, education and other aspects of their lives. 
 
As the gambling behaviour becomes more prevalent, the third phase ‘chasing’ begins when the person focuses on chasing their losses, gambling more and more frequently in an attempt to win back previous losses.  Problem gamblers might take on additional work in order to fund their gambling or pay gambling debts. They may borrow from family or friends, get loans, steal and in other ways exploit family members, friends and colleagues. The individual often has feelings of guilt, shame and increased anxiety but the gambling continues. 
 
The fourth phase ‘desperation’ leaves the individual feeling hopeless. The individual has tried to gamble their way out of a desperate financial situation but failed. Feelings of fear, isolation, depression and guilt become overwhelming and suicide attempts are common.  Many problem gamblers continue to gamble, even in the desperation phase but the thrill of the action is sought rather than the money.  
 
The negative impact problem gambling can have on people’s lives has been highlighted recently in the media with the publication of Declan Lynch and Tony O’Reilly’s book ‘Tony 10’ and Baz Ashmawy’s documentary ‘All Bets Are Off’.  Many problem gamblers describe how gambling becomes a priority over everyone and everything else in their lives and the preoccupation with gambling brings a feeling of loss of control. The consequences can be devastating for the individual, the family unit and the wider social circle.  Family members of problem gamblers describe feeling ashamed, hurt, helpless, afraid, isolated, angry, confused and distrustful.  They often struggle to understand how an otherwise rational person can have behaved so irrationally.  Many relationships are unable to survive the financial, psychological and emotional fallout and the family unit may break down.
 
Problem gambling behaviour can frequently go unnoticed. Unlike other addictions, there are no physical signs that something is wrong - no needle marks, no smell of alcohol, no staggering home.  Also frequent gambling brings an occasional win and this facilitates the secrecy and can strengthen the level of denial.  In my work as a psychotherapist and having completed a number of research studies on the issue of problem gambling, the hidden nature of this addiction is clear. Despite the growing numbers of people experiencing difficulty with their own or a family member’s gambling behaviour, the number of people presenting for counselling treatment is relatively low. The secrecy involved also means that unfortunately the illness is generally well-advanced before help is sought.  
 
Recovery from problem gambling is not easy but it can and does happen. There are a number of services available to help people work towards recovery which are listed in the ‘Resources’ section of this website. Psychotherapy is one such option. Psychotherapy provides clients with the opportunity to explore any issues or problems that they are experiencing in a safe, supportive, non-judgmental and confidential environment. 
 
In my work with clients, the therapeutic relationship is key and the establishment of a strong working alliance with each client based on empathy, mutual trust and respect is vital. For me, the work with someone presenting with problem gambling behaviour requires an open, empathic relationship which is non-judgmental while also strongly challenging the addictive behaviour.  The work involves slowing down and calming the frantic thinking, helping the client gain an awareness of how their behaviour is impacting their lives and the lives of the people around them, and supporting the client so that they themselves can confront reality.  Clients often describe how losing the need to lie can bring huge relief, a sense of freedom and peace of mind. 
 
While the addictive behaviour needs to be addressed, I also support clients in looking behind the gambling to who they were before the addictive behaviour began and try to identify and explore the issues that led to the spiral into addiction.  We generally find that gambling filled some sense of emptiness and part of recovery is finding new, healthy ways to fill that void.  As the therapy progresses, we look beyond the gambling and reflect on the opportunities that recovery might bring as the client rediscovers (or maybe discovers for the first time) the life they want to live.  
 
Acceptance of responsibility is an important part of the process of recovery. Change is supported when the client is able to accept what happened in the past and begin to focus on today, taking responsibility for present day decisions and actions. This concept of living in the day is central to the philosophy of the twelve step program of GA. GA is an important tool in recovery and clients are encouraged to participate in their meetings. 
 
Problem gambling behaviour thrives on lies and secrecy and the further into the illness the bigger and the more frequent the lies and the greater the destruction. So if your gambling behaviour is becoming a concern or has gotten out of control, if you are chasing losses or feeling desperate, what would it be like to break that secrecy?  What would it be like to not feel the need to lie? What would it be like to talk to someone honestly, open up about your distress and begin to work towards recovery?  

Marie Lawlor is a Psychotherapist, based in Dublin 2.  Marie's contact details are available here

Last week, I was fortunate to get an advance copy of a soon to be released book, 'Tony 10'.  Although I had read much about the fall and rise of Tony O'Reilly, over the years (mostly the fall), I found myself very quickly being immersed in the world of Tony's extreme gambling addiction.  This is, in part, due to the inimitable writing style of Declan Lynch - a man who has written  about his own recovery (from alcoholism) and who has previously written two excellent books on gambling (Free Money & The Ponzi Man).  The other part of this winning formula is the story itself.  

​Tony's story was headline news at the time.  A post office manager stealing €1.75 million (in cash) from his employer, gambling every penny on his online account and going on the run to Carrickfergus (when the jig was finally up) is pretty newsworthy.  What Declan and Tony have achieved with this book is to give a crystal clear insight into the mind of a man on an all-consuming, relentless downward spiral into the devastating madness of a gambling addiction.  And while the figures are astronomical, the same story could be told of the person who is losing every penny they have on payday (or dole day).  

One of the standout features of this book, is the fact that Declan had access to Tony's account history.  Tony only ever had one online gambling account (with Paddy Power) - so every transaction could be followed in a clear timeline.  Because of this, we get to see Tony's progress from making a €1 bet (from a €50 online voucher he had received as a gift) all the way up to winning - and then losing- nearly half a million over the course of two days.  

Tony makes no bones about the fact that he is responsible for his actions and that he stole the money.  This is undeniable and unjustifiable.  However, it is mind-boggling that any gambling operator could ignore the extremely suspicious behaviour that Tony was exhibiting - without ever once raising concerns regarding money laundering, the source of his 'wealth' or the fact that he clearly had a massive gambling problem.  In this case, it was Paddy Power, but it would be difficult to believe that any other gambling operator, licensed in Ireland, would have acted any differently.  If ever there was an argument for gambling regulation in Ireland - Tony's case is it.  

Tony's case (along with so many other cases of gambling related fraud) also highlights the need for stricter controls in workplaces.  Tony was regularly gambling at work, while also stealing vast amounts of money and managing to make it through several audits.  A large proportion of the people who contact our service have stolen from their employer to feed their gambling.  

While most of the book is like watching a car hurtling towards a cliff edge, it does end on a positive note.  After Tony's time in treatment (in Cuan Mhuire), followed by his prison sentence, Tony trains to become an addiction counsellor.  I really hope that Tony's work as a counsellor, along with his story, can help others to recover from gambling addiction.  

It was the 25 of September 2017 and it was just like a 100 other days for me. I was finishing work early and already the thoughts of having a gambling flutter were running around in my head, building up to the usual irresistible urge where I just can’t say no. I work in Dublin so getting to a venue where my favourite type of gambling is operated is more accessible than I would like it to be. In recent times I was getting fed up of facilitating my gambling with the monotonous journey in to the city centre. This coupled with the difficulties of parking and changes in route layouts lead me to find myself a 24 hour casino/arcade which operated automated table roulette and slot machines at the Santry Omniplex. It was out of the way with no parking problems or costs.

Automated table roulette has been my gamble of choice for some time now which in some places allows a maximum bet of between 250 to 500 euro every 30 seconds or so. They are equally as addictive and dangerous as the fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTS) currently under siege in the UK. I had also self excluded myself from a large number of venues and could not longer go there as the majority of gambling premises strictly adhere to a self exclude request. The big step I had taken on the 25 October 2016 was to hand over complete control of my finances to my brother. This meant that I hadn’t got the freedom to gamble all my money at any time and devastate my finances in a flash. I have taken steps over the last year or two to put as many obstacles in my way as possible to prevent me from gambling.

While I had handed over control of my finances, with my income going to an account set up with my brother, I only managed to stay bet free until late February 2017. I can’t remember why or how I got to that place where I made a bad choice and commenced to gamble again but, it happened. While I was gambling with much less money, the behaviour was the same. Telling little lies to account for missing time, running out of money, not having money for the basics of food etc and then as a result of getting the maximum amount of money without raising suspicion having to wait a day or two before asking for more money. This year I did everything differently, I recorded the amounts of money I gambled and I recorded the dates on which I had gambled. This allowed me to look very closely at my gambling patterns and indeed the frequency of my betting. Having looked at those patterns since stopping on the 25 September I noticed that gambling was becoming less frequent than it had been in the past as I passed through the year. I hadn’t examined my gambling patterns in this way before and it has made me very conscious of how reckless my past behaviour has been.

As soon as I was finished work on that September Monday I made my way to my car and drove to Santry Omniplex. I had the usual thoughts of what I was going to do with the winnings which in a way are a little ridiculous. This is particularly so, as I will never take winnings. I will gamble as long as the available money will allow me to gamble. I got to the door. The sign on the door says ‘members only, but as usual I pressed the buzzer and a member of staff let me in. No question as to who I was, whether I was a member or check to see if I was somebody who shouldn’t be let in. I walked straight up stairs to my preferred automated roulette table, sat at the position I always sat at and put my money note in the slot. It sucked it in and the usual sounds emanated from the machine as it decided which note bill it was and clocked the credit up on the machine. The intensity of my urges had been building up since I had decided that I was going to gamble. Even as the note was going into the machine it almost felt like something had been injected in to me easing the urge and giving me some form of satisfaction. It wasn’t until I placed the first bet and the wheel was spinning that I started to feel at ease. It was probably a little like how somebody else would look forward to a holiday or a concert. I was now going into my own little world of escapism. A world where you forget about everything else that was going on in your life, nothing or no one mattered while you gambled on each spin of the wheel. Even the consequences of how your life was going to be after you lost all your money didn’t matter. Incredible, but true.

15 minutes or so later, my world of escape came to a crashing end after I placed my bet and the remnants of my money/credits disappeared before my eyes. I had as usual placed some sort of bet on at least three quarters of the numbers on the roulette table but somehow, miraculously the ball fell on a number I didn’t have and my credit rolled to zero. This was a regular feature of the roulette machine, it either lands on a number near your number with the potential of the biggest win or gives you a win which was less than your stake with all the sounds of a big win. (Gambling Addiction by Design) Suddenly, it was back to reality like coming out of a semi hypnotic trance. My immediate thoughts were focussed on how I was going to continue to gamble. After considering whether it was a viable option to contact my brother or not I decided to call him and came up with plausible story as to why I needed to money. Very quickly I had some more money in my account. I couldn’t wait to draw it out of the wall, incidentally, on the same building as the casino. How convenient! Pressed the door buzzer just like earlier and very quickly I was back sitting at the roulette table trying to figure out which number was coming next. Was there a pattern? What number was likely to come up? There are only 36 numbers and one zero. It couldn’t be that difficult! It must be because on occasions I had put bets on every single number with the exception of one or two and guess what? Yes one of the two numbers that I didn’t put anything on came up. Can you imagine the frustration? For some people, it makes them extremely angry and they end up banging machines and shouting loudly and aggressively. Fortunately, for me, I have become resigned to the outcomes and I suppose deep down I know that I am going to lose and there’s not much point in getting angry any more.

My refill of money didn’t last very long. I tried one set of numbers the others came up. No matter what I did I couldn’t win. While I wasn’t angry I was very frustrated and I started to feel real bad as my last few credits were taken away from me leaving me with an empty pocket and probably no money for a couple of days. The same feelings as if I had lost thousands in that one session.

Thoughts went through my head questioning the reasoning and indeed why do I keep doing this to myself. I was really fed up of this continuous cycle of self destruction and self torture. Why? I don’t suppose I will ever know but I had enough. I thought to myself, I just can’t keep doing this. I am having a life but in parallel I’m having no life. I went down stairs and approached the cashier’s desk and told the guy behind the counter that I wanted to self exclude myself from the premises. He asked me if I was a member and I replied ‘that I wasn’t!’ Surprise! Surprise! If he had checked when I entered the premises he would have known that. Nevertheless he asked me for some ID and I gave him my driving licence and he recorded the details. I left the building and headed for home feeling really fed up of what I had been doing to myself.

I haven’t gambled since and I have no intention of doing so. A few days after stopping, I went to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting at Cuan Mhuire in Athy, Co. Kildare. This is one of my favourite meetings as there are regularly gambling addicts in treatment there and it gives a degree of revisiting where you have come from which is not always present at other meetings. While I have now passed 90 days it hasn’t always been easy with urges presenting themselves here and there but I have been able to deal with them and resist the temptation to give up my recovery. I don’t think it is worth it anymore. The cost and the loss is much greater than money alone. The improvement in my life in a few short months completely justifies that abstention from betting. During this time I have also had a few incidents in my life which would in other circumstances sent me on a betting rampage.

What have I been doing to keep myself from gambling? Firstly, I want to stop gambling, change my life and start living a normal life. I have wanted this since I have become a gambling addict but I had never been able to achieve it. That being the big motivator, there has been other difficulties to get over. I don’t know how many other gambling addicts experience this but since stopping I have found it difficult to treat myself or spend money on myself. I don’t know if that is because in the past the idea of protecting your gambling source and saving your money for the bet still sub consciously takes place in your head. Maybe in some way I still want to punish myself as I have done through gambling. It got a little bit better over Christmas and I managed to have a good time. Gambling has also been a means of isolating myself and I find it difficult to partake in social occasions. I have a complete aversion to social gatherings and the potential for connecting. For some strange reason I don’t have that difficulty with Gamblers Anonymous. While there were a few social gatherings over Christmas I got through them and I really have to start looking at association in a different way.

Overall, I don’t keep much money on my person, I only request the amount I need and avoid asking for larger amounts of money unless I need it. Over Christmas this arose as I needed larger amounts of money for gifts for my partner etc. When I got the money, the urge and temptation immediately presented itself and I managed to resist.

However, it would have been just as easy to go gambling but I know if I make the wrong choice I’m back to square one just like snakes and ladders and I really don’t want to go back to the start. I now keep in touch with other recovering gamblers more than I have done in the past and this also has helped somewhat. I am active participant on twitter promoting all things that advocate help and assistance in problem gambling. This is probably the area that helps me most. I now have over 700 followers and I regularly tweet information, articles and other bits and pieces which I feel may be of interest to those that follow me. It has also enabled me to connect with other gamblers, counsellors and others around the world who have an interest in all things problem gambling related.

With 2018 just around the corner I am starting to look forward to a much brighter future, a clearer mind and a normal life. It isn’t much for anyone to expect. Recovery is my key task and through my recovery I hope to help others achieve abstention. I know for some people recovery takes a long time and is taking a long time for me. Making the right choices, considering the disaster of relapse a single day at a time will aid my path to a normal and bet free life. Have a happy bet free 2018.

**Editor: Massive thanks to @CompulsiveG for another excellent post.  Keep fighting the good fight! You can follow @CompulsiveG on Twitter, for more insights into all things problem gambling-related.**