Lewes FC: Non-league goalkeeper warns of gambling addiction

Lewis Carey says losing £50,000 to casino gambling took a severe toll on his physical and mental health

A non-league footballer who lost up to £50,000 in casinos has spoken about his recovery from gambling addiction.

Lewes FC goalkeeper Lewis Carey gambled to escape the pressures of trying to become a professional footballer.

But he was left thousands of pounds out of pocket and sought psychotherapy to overcome his addiction.

Now Mr Carey, 28, and Lewes FC are backing a new programme to educate children aged 11 to 16 about gambling.

• The people most likely to have a gambling problem

The Gambling with Lives project has been set up by families who have lost relatives to gambling-related suicide.

Mr Carey said: "As a youngster, no-one warned me about the harm gambling can cause.

"If someone I felt I could relate to had done so, it would have made a big difference to my life and that's where this programme comes in."

Former Arsenal and England footballer Paul Merson's recent BBC One documentary highlighted the link between footballers and gambling addiction.

It reported that professional footballers are three times more likely to suffer from gambling addiction than other young men.

'Lowest point'

Over a two-year period, Mr Carey said he lost about £50,000 in casinos and has been through six years of psychotherapy to help him deal with his problem.

He said: "It took control of me and I couldn't do anything about it without professional help. It would take away my anxiety from football and I can't describe the escapism it gave me.

"I was carrying everyone's hopes and dreams of being a professional footballer. I just didn't really want to be here anymore and I was just lucky that I had a real close family that found me at my lowest point and helped me back to where I am today."

Lewes FC has refused sponsorship from gambling firms to highlight the issue

James Grimes, head of education at Gambling with Lives, said: "Football is so often the hook that draws young people into gambling, so we believe it will be especially effective to deliver this programme at club level.

"By raising awareness of the harm that gambling can cause from an early age, as opposed to just waiting for the harm to occur, we're confident we can help protect many young people."

Lewes FC are the first club to be involved with the Gambling with Lives programme, which features on the team shirts.

The charity say they have 15 to 20 schools involved in the project elsewhere in the north of the UK and plan to roll it out to schools in the south east through their partnership with the club.

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