Rotherham man addicted to gambling since age of eight warns of dangers after losing home

A man who became addicted to gambling at the age of eight is warning that the cost of living crisis could cause widespread problems.

Kieran Smith, from Rotherham, was first introduced to fruit machines and penny slots at seaside amusement arcades as a child.

At the time he thought it was harmless fun.

However, as he got older he started asking family members to place bets for him before visiting fixed-odds betting terminals as soon as he turned 18 years-old.

He started placing bets of hundreds of pounds and quickly ended up in trouble.

Kieran at the amusement arcades Credit: Kieran Smith

"I started to take pay-day loans, I started to manipulate family members to hand over money. I deeply regret that to this day," he said.

"Me and my wife were then evicted from our first home together leaving us homeless on the streets."

Kieran continued to struggle with his addiction until he hit rock bottom and tried to take his own life.

"It was now or never. It was either that or get help," he said.

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He reached out to the charity GamCare, which has a 24 hour helpline, and started attending local Gamblers Anonymous sessions in Rotherham.

Now four years gambling-free, Kieran remains £30,000 in debt as a result of his gambling. He is speaking out to try to stop others ending up in the same situation.

Working for the mental health charity Mind, he travels around schools in South Yorkshire to highlight the dangers of gambling.

Kieran now teaches others about the dangers of gambling Credit: Dusk Photography

He is worried the cost of living crisis could lead more people to try and use it to try and find a quick fix.

"I would exercise a lot of caution around thinking gambling can and will sort all your financial problems out because if you don't win and you're spending more and more to chase that big win, you're then entering more financial difficulties", he said.

He added: "It's then when you can get gripped by it and soon you find yourself fully addicted."

The charity GamCare echoes Kieran's concerns. Research from YouGov, commissioned by GamCare, found that 44% of people in Yorkshire and the Humber felt worried about their financial situation. Almost 60% had gambled in the past 12 months, while 79% said they had lost money on gambling activities.

It is now trialling a scheme in Leeds, offering tailored money guidance support to people who have been financially impacted by gambling, whether their own or that of a loved one.

Bryn Mostyn, team leader at the Leeds Community Gambling Service, said: “With a cost-of-living crisis impacting households across the Leeds region - especially off the back of a World Cup, a challenging Christmas period and almost five weeks since payday - we know many people may turn to gambling and end up in a worse situation.

"This new service will work with those whose finances have been negatively impacted by gambling, sharing day-to-day guidance they can put in place to help them get back on the right path."

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