Ex-England player Peter Shilton's wife, Steph, on living with a gambling addict and helping others.
As England's most-capped player, goalkeeper Peter Shilton had the world at this feet. Off pitch, he was in the grip of a gambling addiction his entire adult life - until his wife became his recovery. In her own words, Steph Shilton describes life with a gambling addict, and how she is determined to help others like her.
One night, I woke up and he wasn't in bed. He was on his laptop and on the screen was a tote [betting form]. It was the middle of the night and he was looking at betting on a horse race in Australia. Of course, he could gamble on any race, all over the world, at any time.
People have this assumption that gambling addicts are down-and-outs; it's often highly astute, very intelligent, very professional people. You can't spot a gambler, and that makes it extremely difficult to get through to them. They hide it. I was finding it difficult as a loved one, living with that.
Then, I had a miscarriage. He was amazing. He didn't gamble, he nursed me and I did think 'he's going to give this up for me'.Peter Shilton had maintained a career in international football while in the grip of a decades-long gambling addiction We got though it on our own, together. I had contacted Betfair and asked them to help, and they didn't do anything at all, not even put limits on his account.When his dad died, I worried that it would push him back. I did have to work through my worries and anxieties and trust issues.
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