“Lad I was making just over £250 a week from my part time job at school, and spending most of it in the space of a couple hours on me payday. Each week I’d tell myself, I’ll stop next week and be able to go out and enjoy it with me mates – but each week I’d fall down the same trap." revealed Ryan Dressers, 27, as he reflected on his long battle with gambling problems.
Revealing his troubled past, Dressers disclosed that his gambling addiction began just a few weeks after his 16th birthday. After nearly a decade of struggling with the addiction, he finally sought help through an online organisation that guided him back on track. The support he received allowed him to repair broken relationships and alleviate the financial burden that began to weigh heavy on him. While it may be shocking that his addiction began at such a young age, it surfaces a rising issue: the number of children engaging in gambling. Addressing this problem is crucial in the prevention of future generations succumbing to a fate similar to Dressers.
He said: “I had no idea how bad it was. I was 16, I was just a kid. I should have been playing football and enjoying school with me mates, not thinking about the next race at Chepstow. It’s almost laughable how ridiculous it was looking back.”
However, Dressers is not a unique case. In 2023, The Gambling Commission collected data from 3453 pupils aged 11 to 17 years old, it declared that almost half (48%) of children had experienced gambling and that two in five had experience gambling within the last 12 months. Horrifically, 0.7% of those surveyed were identified as problem gamblers, with 1.5% declared as at-risk gamblers.
Clearly uncomfortable and embarrassed by his damaged past, a red-faced Dressers revealed the reasoning of why he was eager to gamble at such a young age.
In a disappointed tone, he said: “I can’t even remember how I got my [Online betting company] account, but I had it not long after I turned 16 through somehow. I was desperate to get on the app as well, seeing adults whether it was my uncles, dad, family friends – anyone really, the slight rush I got from hearing their bets even when I had no financial gain from it proper took over me.
“I go the match, I see the advertising, I heard the conversations on the terraces, and I loved it. Seeing tipsters online, professional gamblers in movies – I thought there’s clearly a bit of knowledge to it and I knew my footy. But as I have grown up, got help and got educated – the odds was never in my favour and I wasn’t seeking the money aspect, I was seeking the rush.
“Having the mentality I have now took years of learning to be honest, and I don’t expect [gambling] addicts reading this to believe the words I’m saying right away, I wouldn’t have.”
The silence after the last words deafened the room for a short period, Dressers looked down and sighed shaking his head. Noticing the mood shift, I put forward the question of how badly did gambling affect his livelihood and relationships.
Softly, he denounced: “Mate, it wasn’t good I can tell you that. I’ve lost some mates, good mates as well, and I’m not proud and I’m still doing my best to try and regain their trust, it’s never been the same.
“You know, I couldn’t just ask anyone for money, I can’t just beg on the streets. But that little monster inside of me, it needs it, needed to be fed. Genuinely it’s almost like it’s not myself in my body anymore. It’s the closest people in my life in front of me and I felt like I wasn’t aware of my surroundings anymore an everything felt like it was fixated on the cash in their pocket.
“Whether it was my own mum, my girlfriend, my family - even her family, I’d ask them. My thought process was if they lend me £100, I can double that easy, 2/1 odds on the footy always come in – I thought it was safe. Obviously, it wouldn’t and then I’d fall into the trap, from there I’d try and get a bit more creative with my bets trying to triple or more the money borrowed so I could give it back. I’d be skint, owe loads of money and I’m putting £200 on a 20/1 bet so I can pay people back, it got bad.”
After more than seven years of reckless gambling, Dressers, with the support of his family, began to receive counselling and has been free from betting for almost three and a half years. Despite the significance, when he spoke about his progress his body language betrayed him as he fidgeted and shook his leg vigorously, providing a hint to the emotional scars left behind.
Although not addicted themselves, family members and friends are deeply impacted by the consequences that stem from gambling addiction. Recently, GambleAware conducted a survey including 222 individuals impacted by the gambling problems of their family members or friends, highlighting the significant challenges they may face.
The results found that 99% reported a negative impact on their health, with most having high rates of depression (77%) and stress related health problems (77%). Alarmingly, 16% of family members admitting to committing acts of self-harm, and 8% had attempted suicide as a result of the distress. These statistics provide a visualisation to the fact that when someone suffers with problem gambling, it is not just themselves who hold the brunt of the effects and those closest to them feel the pressure.
Dressers emphasized the crucial role his family played by stepping in when they did, highlighting how their support was crucial in his recovery and future. He then explained how he strongly encourages anyone struggling with similar issues to seek help from the many charities and organisations now available across the country.
“Getting help wasn’t easy but it was the biggest turning point in my life. The losses became emotional, social and mental costs and I felt like I was truly losing everything that mattered to me. My family and friends came together and intervened and I didn’t even try to argue, I opened up – I crumbled. I knew it was bad for a while, and knowing they knew about the issues and that they were still willing to be by my side if I got help now was truly the first step for me.
“I got help from outside of the NHS. Tried originally with them [NHS], but where they are starting to take it more seriously, the waiting times were too long and there is nowhere near enough clinics around the country dedicated to gambling addiction to properly deal with the issue.
“Local support groups and charity organisations online were key to me, and they are making a real difference. There’s loads now, filled with ex-addicts who know what it’s like and what you’re thinking, and the help they give is great. I’d recommend to anyone that if they’re feeling even slightly out of control, just go and have a chat with them. Don’t leave it too late.”
Where Dressers succumbed to a gambling addiction at a young age, that is not always the case and gambling addiction can affect anyone at any points in their lives. An Interview with Jonathan Clark, a man who only fell into gambling later in his life, showcased the tiresome path he fell into through gambling which resulted in him accumulating significant debt. He also opened up about the relentless struggles and how a sense of community and pride made him feel as if his problems were inescapable.
Clark explained passionately: “Being in a betting shop was my Las Vegas. The noises from the machines, the bright lights, the crowds around the televisions with the horse racing on, the smell of the cigarette smoke, I loved it all.
“I’d see some of the lads more than my family and friends in a week, I really felt like it was a sort of brotherhood. In reality, we was all sick and we should have been on some sort of ward. From anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma and almost any mental health issue you could think of, they were all represented in that room.”
In the UK, sports betting ranks as the second most popular form of gambling, beaten only by the National Lottery. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the UK gambling sector generated an impressive £15.1 billion total in gross gambling yield, making it the second largest gambling market globally. Within the current market, sports betting is the most popular form of betting amongst males and young adults aged between 18-24. Notably, these same demographics are also those who are at the highest risk of developing problem gambling behaviours, men and those aged between 18-24.
Clark’s path to gambling addiction was significantly influenced by conformity, he felt a sense of pressure to continue bet to fit within his adopted social circle, despite his growing worries on his gambling problem.
Reflecting on his journey, he admitted: “I got into gambling approaching my thirties, I had gambled before but never to the extremes that I eventually got into. I went out with some of the lads, and on the way to the pub we found a small wad of cash – I think about £60 or £80. Had the bright idea that we will go into the betting shop and throw it all on a horse and it’ll pay for our night out. We didn’t pick a great horse, 12/1 or something, but it won, and we left with just under a grand.
“That became our little routine from then, and it’s there where I got hooked. From there I’d think I’m buying a new pair of trainers, a takeaway, how about I bet it and then I’m getting them for free. It just evolved, and then I was spending any time I wasn’t working in there spending all the money I had.
“I made friends in there, I won big at times. And I would try to leave, I’d say I had a problem, but it was the sick preaching to the sick. They’d tell me my luck was down and my big wins around the corner, I’d tell them the same back. In all honesty, I didn’t want to leave the friendships and circles I was in, I also didn’t want to make my other friends uncomfortable to bet around me. It was mental gymnastics in my head constantly, I knew it was wrong, but I would keep doing it.”
Since becoming gamble-free almost five years ago, Clark was since diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon as the Royal College of Psychiatrists state that problem gamblers are at a much higher risk of developing mental health issues including anxiety, depression, substance abuse and stress-related disorders. For Clark, his journey has been a tough one where he has learnt a lot about himself in the process and the impact it has had.
Offering an insight to the complex battle he endured, Clark reflected on his experience: “I think a big problem for me was I never really regretted a bet at the time, I always loved the highs and the lows that followed. Obviously when I would get home and I’d be eating plain bread for my dinner I would come to realise the problem, but that’d also be my motivation to try and win my money back.
“I definitely have a much better understanding now. When I was in the thick of my gambling addiction, I didn’t really understand what was driving me. Now I realise that it was just an avenue to escape, a way to numb or even avoid the feelings I didn’t want to face or even understand.
“Since being diagnosed I have been able to connect the dots and understand myself better and why I felt what I did. The anxiety constantly kept me feeling as if I was on edge, the depression made me crave an escape from reality – being in the four walls of the betting shop and the endorphins I received gave me that outlet. It was destructive, and although I understand it now, it doesn’t make it right, but the understanding has been key in my recovery.”
If you, or anyone you know, is suffering from gambling-related harms – recovery is possible.
Applications for help can be made through gordonmoody.org.uk, you can also speak to an advisor by calling 01384 241292 or emailing: help@gordonmoody.org.uk
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