I started gambling so young I remember hiding from my mum in the bookies, says recovering addict
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James Grimes lost a fiver on football at the age of 16. He was given VIP treatment at Premier League football and horse racing events by gambling firms. James was addicted to gambling for 12 years. There are 30,000 people over the ages of 15 addicted in Ireland. He hid from his mother in the bookies. Now he is a recovering addict. His story is told in Irish Sun. It is based on his own experience.
Grimes, 31, is from England and is now helping educate youngsters about gambling addiction. He spent all his savings on online gambling before he was 18. UK children aged 11 to 16 with gambling problems has quadrupled in the last two years. UK figures show that gambling is higher among young people than the rates for alcohol, smoking cigarettes or illegal drugs.
James was put on a VIP programme when he was 21. He was earning around £16,000 a year as a student. The company provided him with tickets to Premier League games and a day at the Newmarket races. James is now the head of education at Gambling With Lives, a charity set up by the families and friends of young people who had taken their own lives as the result of gambling.
