My Story

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I’m Craig, 39 from Coventry.

My gambling journey began socially with friends, placing football accumulators at weekends. What started as harmless fun soon escalated into fixed-odds terminal games in betting shops, and eventually into online bookmakers and casinos. Before long, I was betting on anything and everything, with no limits and constant opportunities to gamble.

This led to a destructive cycle: losing my wages quickly each month, relying on payday loans and credit cards, and building thousands of pounds of debt. For 16 years I lived a double life—gambling in secret, lying to cover my tracks, and bottling up my struggles. Eventually, my family discovered the truth when I needed financial support. After years of hurt to myself and those around me, I finally decided to face my problem head-on.

 I joined a retreat and counselling programme that transformed my relationship with gambling. From there, I began volunteering with charities and training as a peer supporter and mentor. Today, I am proud to be 5 years gamble-free. I now dedicate my experiences and lessons learned to helping others who are struggling with gambling harms. I’m also blessed with an amazing partner and two beautiful boys, who deserve the best version of me—free from gambling.

My mission is to bridge the gap between recognising a problem and accessing professional support. Through lived experience, I offer genuine, personalised mentoring for those who don’t know where to turn or how to begin their recovery journey. I know first-hand how hard it is to break the cycle, and I want to be a safe, supportive starting point for anyone ready to take that first step.