Gambler who Lost ₤ 250,000 'suffered In Silence'

11 March 2026
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Tony Fisherand


Lily-May Symonds, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire


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A male who lost more than ₤ 250,000 through gaming said he had actually "suffered in silence".


Taylor Hart, 32, placed his first little bet when he was 14 years of ages on a football accumulator, where you select groups and you get some money if all of them win.


The addict, from Dunstable in Bedfordshire, said that when he had won he was most likely hooked without realising it as he might not wait till the next week to get a new football slip.


It was only in the early hours one morning about 15 years later that he understood he had a gambling problem - and already he had 72p in his bank account.


Hart stated he utilized to get ₤ 10 spending money from his moms and dads and "suddenly I am getting a lot more money by winning bets".


He said with that income he "might not wait to do it again; it was such a great feeling".


From the age of 21, it began to end up being a larger issue when he began placing bets with greater stakes.


For the last five years of his betting life, horse racing was the only thing he would bank on, he said.


At 29 years old, he thought "this can not go on any longer" and he managed to discover a rehabilitation centre through a charity called Gordon Moody.


He went into rehabilitation on 13 November 2023 for a 14-week residential stay.


He described it as "the very best decision I have ever made" and considering that coming out of rehab he stated he had not put a single bet.


Hart said that it was just after going to Gordon Moody that he exercised he had lost more than ₤ 250,000.


He likewise realised he had actually been heavily targeted by gambling advertising, which he referred to as "a genuine huge issue".


"You can not go anywhere without seeing gambling, you can not listen to the radio without hearing betting adverts, and you can't even get on a bus without seeing betting adverts on the billboards," he included.


"I suffered in silence for a long time where I was living from pay cheque to pay cheque and all my money went on betting.


"I was concealing my betting and I did not desire anyone to understand how much I was losing.


"That is when it becomes an issue. It was not enjoyable. It was sort of if I don't win this bet then the costs are not making money."


'Silent dependency'


With racing's Cheltenham Festival under way, Hart said maybe bettors ought to think whether they have an issue if they identified themselves in what he was saying.


He stated he had actually lost a lot of pals and family due to his gaming as he was borrowing money off them.


He included: "If someone is taking drugs or drinking alcohol it is more obvious, however betting is a silent dependency."


A spokesperson for the Gambling Commission regulative body stated there were "stringent rules governing the marketing of gambling ... which are designed to ensure that marketing communications for gambling items are socially responsible, with particular regard to the need to protect kids, young adults under 18 and other susceptible individuals from being harmed or made use of by advertising that includes or promotes betting".


They included that "targeted action around advertising and sponsorship is essential, specifically to better ensure that children and people who might be susceptible have significantly decreased exposure".


If you have been affected by the concerns raised in this story, you can go to the BBC Action Line for assistance - appearance under "Addiction".


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