Gambling is big business and is a big problem for many people. The Gambling Commission says that nearly 26 million people aged 16 and over gamble every 4 weeks. It is estimated that 3.3 million people in Britain are dealing with gambling debt, with an average of £10,000. Online gambling is a constant temptation. Sporting teams and events are sponsored by gambling companies. Television adverts offer a free first bet seeking to entice people into gambling. Denise Coates is the majority shareholder in the online betting company bet365 which she founded in 2001. In 2018 she was the highest paid woman in the world. And the highest taxpayer in Britain from 2019-2022.

Rachel, who is 41 years old and lives in Merthyr Tydfil, is a recovering gambling addict and has shared her story of hope. She reached “breaking point” after hiding her addiction from friends and family for years. When she opened up to loved ones about her struggles, they supported her in trying to overcome her addiction. She started a business, reselling clothes, to pay back her debts and now helps others struggling with addiction to see a “way out”.

Rachel has explained how she was drawn into gambling. In 2020, during Covid, she began increasingly using gambling sites to boost her mood. Her gambling habit was a secret. She would claim she was sending texts when she was actually putting money into bingo sites. Hiding it was easy, she said, as we’re always on our phones. You don’t realise you’ve become so addicted until you’re in it and you always try to convince yourself that you’re not.” Four years later, she had maxed out multiple credit cards and was struggling to keep up with the repayments. She said, “I was just completely broken as a person.”

Then she confessed her situation to her family. She says, “My children listened to my story and said, ‘You can do this Mam’. I think that’s what gave me more fire in the belly to know that my children are literally backing me now.” Rachel blocked her access to gambling sites and turned her hobby of reselling clothes online into a job. She went on TikTok to further promote her business while being open about her struggles. She says: “I wouldn’t say I’m ever recovered because I’m not. But I always think to myself, ‘remember your story, remember what you’ve done’.” The first step in overcoming our wrong behaviours is admitting our problem to those who love us. We can also ask Jesus to help us. He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”