Gambling with Lives charity takes its campaign to the football pitch to raise awareness of addiction

A day ahead of the start of the Premiere League season, a special football match has been held to raise awareness of the serious harms of gambling addiction throughout Ireland.

It’s also hoped that taking the Gambling with Lives campaign to the football pitch at Harland and Wolff Welders stadium that it will encourage other sports clubs to take the issue seriously and sign up to prevention programmes.

Betting on football is one form of gambling addition.

And the friendly match had a serious goal - to raise awareness of the damaging effects of gambling in any form.

Sadie and Pete Keogh’s son Lewis took his own life in 2013 after his gambling got out of control. Now they spend their lives helping others to confront their addition.

Sadie said: "He left a note that read, 'Please forgive me but every day is a nightmare. All I need is a bit of peace. Please understand that addiction is cruel'".

It’s estimated that 2.3 percent of people in Northern Ireland suffer with problem gambling.

On the island of Ireland, the figure is one in thirty people.

Sinn Fein’s Philip McGuigan is recovering from a gambling addiction. He is using his role as a politician to help bring about the change of law with regard to the Gambling Industry.

He said: "It is vitally important that if there are people listening who are suffering from addiction, that they know that there is an opportunity to recover and live a very fulfilling life.

"Obviously I have a certain amount of responsibility in that at Stormont we produce legislation that also deals with the very harmful and dangerous practices from the gambling industry."

Declan Cregan is also in recovery. He now delivers prevention sessions to staff and players at sports clubs with the charity Gambling with Lives.

He said: "We encourage and we urge other sports clubs, youth groups, schools to get involved in the work that we are doing, the education and awareness lessons that we provide to give these young people the awareness.

"Then hopefully they will not go down the road that I went down and unfortunately many other people around me as well."

Whatever the draw towards strategic forms of gambling like sports betting, the message is clear that help is available.

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