By the time he made his last bet, Adam Wood had made 15-16 loans, maxed out his two credit card limits, and overextended his bank account.
A former gambling addict exposes his destructive habits and reveals that he often used up his entire monthly salary within 48 hours.
24-year-old Adam Wood started gambling at the age of 16, placing small bets on soccer games.
But while this seemed harmless at the time, it ended up being the first step in a harrowing addiction journey with debt collectors barging at his doorstep.
At 18, Adam started betting on horse races and had some luck, winning £450 on his first race.
So he continued, and his betting frequency began to spiral out of control.
It seemed to be going well at first, but his stakes started to rise and eventually his winning streak came to an end.
Adam found himself spending money he didn’t want to lose on gambling, and began pouring his savings to fund his growing addiction.
In the end, Adam spent his monthly salary gambling within 48 hours.
“I spent it all on gambling,” he said. LADBible. “I was working five days a week, but I couldn’t afford train tickets anymore. He said, but I didn’t have the luxury.” ”
He said his addiction had taken him from “a very privileged position” to a “suddenly hopeless situation.”
But he came back because he had the potential for a big win.
“I knew gambling was the cause of all this, but there was a part of me that really wanted to gamble again because I lost so much. will come,” he said.
Adam ended up chasing a four-year winning streak and turned to payday loans to sustain his addiction.
At the time of his last bet, he had 15-16 loans, two credit cards and overdrafts on his bank account.
It all came to a head in March 2020 when his parents were greeted by debt collectors demanding Adam’s overdue repayments.
“I had no idea what to say or how to react,” he said. “I had to come clean about what happened.”
Adam hasn’t gambled since that day and credits his family with helping him overcome his addiction.
“Watching[my mother]break down in front of me about what I did and all the damage I caused is something I will never forget,” he said.
Adam continued to focus his energies on running and launched a social media page titled “No More Fun – Didn’t” to share his recovery process.
He also often spent hours on the phone with people trying to convince them to stop gambling, encouraged those struggling with addiction to seek help, and helped others break the habit.
If you struggle with gambling addiction, you can call GamCare on 0808 8020 133 for a free consultation with an advisor. Services he is available 24/7.
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