WiganToday.com posted the story of 32-year-old woman, Kelly Nield, whose bingo addiction put her £45,000 in debt.
Nield played online at Foxy Bingo for hours on end maxing out 5 credit cards wiping out her partner’s savings account.
Nield said, “You get to the point where you can’t see a way out.
“It’s a vicious cycle as when you win get the buzz to play again, and when you lose you just want to get your money back.
“I just wanted to find a way to make myself stop and when my thoughts turned dark I knew I had to get help.”
Nield had taken time off from her job due to illness back in 2012 and discovered Foxy Bingo being advertised during The Jeremy Kyle Show.
“You can go on and do it in your own home in comfort and to begin with it’s not a big deal,” she said.
“I’d been to Bingo with friends in the past but not spent more than about £20. It had never been an issue before.
“But they always let you win something to begin with or offer you free plays. In just over six months, I was £10,000 in debt.
“I would gamble from the second my family left in the morning until they came home at night, and when they were home she would sneak off to her bathroom and bedroom to play.
“My partner would come home and comment that the house hadn’t been touched and it was because I’d be sat on it all day, gambling.
“For the first two years I put everything on credit cards. Because I was off and suffering with stress, I don’t really remember it. I think I was just blocking out what was going on.
“I know the difference between right and wrong so now I think what on earth was I doing.”
She finally admitted to her habit and revealed her spending to her partner.
Dirk Hanson, CEO of Gamcare, said, “We applaud people who come forward and admit that they have a problem with gambling.
“We encourage people to get support either for themselves or for family members or friends who might be struggling.
“There is help available out there either through support groups or through one-on-one counselling.
“We know that women in particular are drawn to online forms of gambling and they are more likely to access these services online.
“We offer an online chat service through our helping where people can anonymously come through and chat with one of our advisors.
“It is a reality that people can get hooked on these websites, and people should be fully aware of the risks before getting too involved.”
By Glo Wood
