Ex-addict who almost gambled his life away urges others to get help
Trent Peek spoke to ITV News about how his gambling addiction almost cost him his marriage
A former gambling addict who said his addiction nearly cost him his marriage and his life is encouraging anyone who is struggling to reach out and get help.
Trent Peek, from Nottinghamshire, once gambled payday loans and his mortgage on a range of sports, racking up debts and losing tens of thousands of pounds in a matter of hours.
He said his addiction also had a huge impact on his relationships and his mental health.
Mr Peek tearfully recalled writing a letter to his wife admitting he'd been "gambling again" and that she "deserved better".
"It was essentially eluding to the fact that I wanted to not be around anymore," Mr Peek told ITV News Central. "At that point, it's the damage you're causing to everyone else let alone yourself."
Mr Peek started gambling in 2010 and initially put bets on football here and there.
But he became sucked into the world of online gambling and eventually had to sell his car and remortgage the house.
At one point when he thought he'd managed to stop he then gambled away the money that was meant for his honeymoon with his wife.
"Everything was great, I'd given up gambling at that point, we received money but I don't think I handled any money at that point just in case," Mr Peek said.
"She transferred funds to the joint account for me to buy the honeymoon that we'd identified and wanted to go on, she then went away to go to an appointment and while she did so I gambled all that money away."
Mr Peek struggled with his addiction on and off for six years - saying it almost cost him his marriage and his family.
He eventually reached out for help and received support from the charity GamCare in 2016.
He has since rebuilt his life and his relationships and now wants to help others in a similar situation to do the same.
This January saw the highest monthly number of calls to GamCare’s National Gambling Helpline since it opened - with 4,816 calls and online chats made across the month.
Lisa Patton from the charity says gambling is a "hidden addiction" and the first step in getting help is starting the conversation.
"People have to find out what support is out there and we offer a free support service for people who are experiencing harm from gambling and affected others," she said.
"It's not just the person who is gambling, there can be six to twelve other people impacted by someone's gambling."
She added: "There is support out there, I think it's disclosing to somebody, maybe a friend you can talk to, just saying you are experiencing this harm and knowing where to go for support."
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