Thoughts on "Tony 10" - a book on gambling addiction and recovery, by Declan Lynch & Tony O'Reilly

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.