Carlisle United fan starts podcast to raise awareness of gambling addiction
A Carlisle United fan has started his own podcast to raise awareness of his gambling addiction.
Dan Bateman explains how he used to bet away his wages and lied to family members to get money.
Dan's podcast Be The Best Version of Yourself takes listeners through his journey of being a gambling addict.
Dan Bateman explains what having a gambling addiction did to him.
He said: "I was betting my wages and betting way too much money that I could afford to lose. I was lending off family members.
"I was not proud of it but I was lying to family members so that they could send me money. I was just wasting it and I looked in the mirror and thought something needed to change.
"I was in a dark place and it was a really negative time. I put weight on and there was a lot of stuff that went along with it. I didn’t realise all of this until after it and the negative effect that it had."
Dan has called for football to follow its rules around tobacco and alcohol in the same way with gambling.
Watch as Dan speaks about wanting football to follow its model with tobacco and alcohol.
Many Premier League clubs have gambling sponsors and the EFL is sponsored by a betting company.
Dan said: "A few years ago they stamped out tobacco and alcohol. There were they iconic Liverpool shirts with Carlsberg on them.
"I remember them stamping it all out and it didn’t seem to effect football. If anything football went higher. I just think why can’t we stamp gambling out.
"There will be enough people out there willing to sponsor these teams. They are big clubs, they don’t need the money, they have enough money as it is. They could stamp it out and get other sponsors that aren’t linked to such a toxic culture."
A spokesperson for Betting and Gaming Council, said: “The regulated betting and gaming industry provides some of the country’s most popular sport with vital funding, including the English Football League and its clubs, which receives £40m.
“The Government has previously stated research did not establish a causal link between exposure to advertising and the development of problem gambling.
“Betting advertising and sponsorship must comply with strict guidelines and safer gambling messaging is regularly and prominently displayed.
“It should also be noted that betting operators’ logos cannot be used on children’s clothing – including replica football kits.
“Meanwhile, the whistle-to-whistle ban – which prevents TV adverts being broadcast during live sport, excluding horse and greyhound racing, before the watershed – has led to the number of such ads being seen by children at that time falling by 97 per cent.
“We are encouraged by the latest figures from the Gambling Commission that showed the rate of problem gambling was 0.3 per cent of the UK adult population.”
For further help and advice:
Be Gamble Aware - https://www.begambleaware.org/ & 0808 8020 133
Bet Know More - https://www.betknowmoreuk.org/
NHS Help - https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...