I need help to beat my fixed odds betting terminals addiction - Tony Franklin

15^th September 2017

I’ve struggled my whole life with gambling addiction since the age of 10 / 11.

Today I’ve made my formal application to the UK’s only NHS specialist gambling clinic in London, the National Problem Gambling Clinic for help and I hope it will come quickly.

I’m addicted to Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and had a prolific relapse over a week which ended on the 12^th September with me losing £2,740 in less than hour.

I’ve previously beaten an internet gambling addiction and haven’t gambled online for over 10 years. I was able to effectively self-exclude and download software to prevent me accessing online gambling sites.

Although I’ve tried to self-exclude from the bookmakers there is NO EFFECTIVE solution to do so and they have continued to allow me to access their shops and lose substantial monies even though they know my ‘tragic case’.

I’ve tried to use all the self-help tools, and knowledge that I’ve gained over the years to beat my addiction but ultimately the availability and ease of access to such ruinous high speed, high stake machines has had the better of me. I am completely paralysed and broken. Totally destroyed by these machines.

I have to accept that I need the professional help and expertise of Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones clinic and I really hope that I will be able to overcome this addiction which has totally consumed me. I am not a nice person to be around and I have hurt so many people along the way.

I love my daughter, Sophie, my son Samko my son Jacob, my grandson Charlie and all of my family and friends who have done their best to help me. I need to help myself.

I will continue to talk about my addiction openly and use my story as best I can to help others and to raise awareness of this horrible addiction.

Thank you.

Tony Franklin (GamblingHurts)