Officer opens up about 'invisible addiction' with gambling
10 March 2026
As the Cheltenham Festival gets underway today, a Hertfordshire Police Federation member has spoken about the impact on their life of problem gambling.
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest horse racing events in the UK, with more than £1 billion expected to be wagered across the four days.
But one officer has revealed how their gambling caused damage to their family, their finances, and their mental health.
The officer, speaking anonymously about their experience, said: “The financial aspect wasn’t the worst part.
“That was telling the people who’s trust I had broken and the impact it had on them.”
Gambling
The officer said it was difficult to pinpoint when their ‘a strange relationship with gambling’ started.
They recalled spending money as a 17-year-old on National Lottery scratchcards, ‘money I didn’t really have’.
“Looking back, the worst thing happened and I won back the money I’d spent and more,” they said. “Maybe it embedded the belief that I wouldn’t ultimately lose.”
Years later, despite working long hours, the officer wasn’t taking home the money they wanted to be able to do things for their family.
At the same time, a betting company was offering a free bet to win £250,000 for correctly predicting six football results.
Bets
“What could go wrong?" the officer said. "It was free to enter. I know about football. How hard can predicting six results be?
“I wouldn’t lose anything. I could only gain and the £250,000 would be life changing.
“I didn’t predict the results of six matches. I’m not even sure I got two correct in any one week.
“But as a ‘reward’ for signing up, the company gave me free bets again. Again, I thought it’s free so won’t lose anything.
“The bets didn’t come in, so I thought I would spend a little. I didn’t want to be greedy, I just wanted to get an extra bit of cash to make life easier.
“It turns out I wasn’t very good at predicting results, or I would choose long-shot accumulation bets that were extremely long odds for a good reason.”
It marked a rapid escalation. The football bets led to online casinos, black jack, and roulette, and with it losses started to add up.
As the losses mounted and credit cards were maxed out, the officer felt the only way out was to win the money back.
He said: “Even though I knew it was wrong I carried on. By now I was trying to win the money back.
“I should have known it was gone, but my mind was gone. I thought that I’d eventually win it back, but I didn’t.
Finances
“I dreaded going onto the website but was compelled. How else could I get the money back? How else could make it right?
“By trying to make it right I was making it so much worse.
“I would spend a lot of time in the bathroom at home. No one else would see me in my phone in there. No one could know what I was doing.”
The officer added: “It started consuming my thoughts. I started placing bets on all sorts of sports that I’d never heard of before.
“Other people had won big in the past, why not me? But I didn’t win. I was getting into more trouble, and spending more in an attempt to get more back.”
Eventually, the officer admitted they had a problem and spoke to a family member ‘who bailed me out financially’.
Mental health
They said: “This happened over a matter of weeks a few years ago, but the ramifications are still felt today.”
The experience impacted the officer’s mental health, leading them to therapy.
The officer said: “I have a block on my phoine so I can’t gamble on it, and talk to family and friends if I’m struggling.”
The officer is speaking out during Cheltenham Festival week to warn about the potential dangers of gambling for police officers.
And they are backing an initiative by full-time Federation rep James Stopford to raise awareness of gambling addiction among officers.
“The work James is doing to highlight gambling is great,” the officer said. “If one person can be helped then it’s all worth it.
“If you are struggling or even think you maybe please do talk and find ways that you can help yourself."
Addiction
The officer added: “Gambling is a hidden risk. It’s the invisible addiction. You can be addicted to it and no body knows.
“Your behaviour may change but no one will necessarily know it’s down to gambling.
“One of the first jobs I went to as a police officer was to someone attempting suicide due to gambling debts.
“Sadly lots of people do take their lives from gambling-related issues.”
They added: “Are you struggling? Be honest with yourself.
“Ask yourself am I spending too much? Can I control what I spend?
“And talk to someone. The secrecy and the shame and the guilt stopped me from talking but there are a lot of networks out there that can help you.”
More information on gambling support is available from:
READ MORE: Swapping hats scheme helps officer confront long-standing trauma.
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