The ex-Arsenal and England forward PaulMerse has struggled with gambling addiction for 35 years 💬 Merson tells PMGallagher1why he is now helping others through a unique new platform
My dad liked a bet, but in those days he’d have a football or a horse bet, and that would be it. The betting shop shut at five, after the last race had finished. It’s not like now, when it’s 24/7.
It’s the most horrible addiction in the world. I’m a recovering alcoholic and a recovering drug addict, but for me, gambling addiction is the worst. It doesn’t tell you that you’re not going to win. It’s weird. If you said to me now,I’ll say I can’t. I haven’t had a drink for several years. But if I go out and have one now, I won’t go home for two days. I know I can’t stop when I start, but gambling doesn’t tell you that you’re going to lose all your money. You just know you are.
In 1991, when we won the league for the second time in three years [Arsenal lost just one game all season], I’m 23, just won my second title in three years, and when I get home – I’d just bought a four-bedroom house – I didn’t have any carpet. I was living on a stone floor, because I chose to gamble instead of buying carpet. That’s how bad it gets.
No one was interested in talking to me about the gambling. When I got done for the drugs in 1994 [Merson gave a tearful press conference in November that year with then Arsenal manager George Graham, which led to the FA arranging for him to undergo a three-month rehabilitation programme], I’d lost everything through gambling, but no one was interested in that, because that’s not going to harm your performance on the pitch, is it? But it does, much more.
When you saw other players in the tabloids about their gambling and how much they’d lost, you’d think, without being horrible,[the Brentford striker has accepted multiple charges of breaching the Football Association’s betting rules], if he’s got an illness then you think,Gambling addiction is evil, it’s cunning, baffling. You can go two, three years without a bet, but it gets you. You have another bet and you’re back to normal.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
KSI laughs at Jake Paul for running away from Floyd Mayweather Jr and his entourageKSI thoroughly enjoyed watching Jake Paul sprint away from Floyd Mayweather Jr and his entourage after being confronted. On Wednesday night, after attending a Miami Heat NBA game following his rece…
Lire la suite »
Paul Pogba axed from Juventus' Europa League squad for disciplinary reasonsPaul Pogba has been axed from the Juventus squad to face SC Freiburg due to disciplinary reasons. The ex-Manchester United midfielder recently made his first competitive appearance since April 2022…
Lire la suite »
Jake Paul speaks out after running away from Floyd Mayweather and '50 dudes'Jake Paul has responded after a video of him running away from Floyd Mayweather after an NBA game went viral overnight.
Lire la suite »
Katherine Ryan Reveals What Happened When Paul Hollywood 'Confronted' Her About Past JokesThe comic poked fun at the Bake Off judge back in 2019 – but then came face-to-face with him when she was a contestant on a celebrity special of the show.
Lire la suite »
I can't get over Paul's hair in Tekken 8Bandai Namco has released a gameplay trailer for veteran Tekken character Paul in the upcoming Tekken 8 and while the f…
Lire la suite »