Julie Martin, pictured on the right, with BetKnowmore colleagues.Betknowmore
Discovering the family home had been remortgaged and credit cards maxed out in her name was the first time Julie Martin became aware of her husband's relentless gambling addiction.
She joined a host of leading experts and shared her harrowing experience at the second annual International Interdisciplinary Colloquium of the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research at the University of Bristol on Thursday on 10 October. The Hub works closely with those with lived experience of gambling harms to raise awareness of the potential devastating consequences of gambling and to ensure that research, prevention and treatment is as relevant and effective as possible.
Julie's late husband's habit, which destroyed their marriage and swallowed up to £1million, resulted in him committing suicide three years ago leaving her behind with their two children.
Determined for something positive to emerge from the wreckage, Julie now provides peer support as an aftercare coordinator with Betknowmore UK to people experiencing gambling harms. The mum-of-two was amongst the colloquium speakers, who also included global researchers, regulators, treatment and support practitioners, and policy experts.
Julie, aged 53, said: "Having someone beyond family and friends to talk to during my ordeal was a lifeline. It's good to be able to offer that to others, but the fact our client list keeps growing is worrying.
"The explosion of online platforms and advertising has exacerbated the terrible situation, which means more and more lives are being lost to gambling. We were a typical hard-working family but his addiction proved too strong and the ultimate price was paid. Gambling stole from us a man who just wanted to be a hero and get everyone financially sorted. The industry had got to change now so others can be spared."
Her husband's refusal to acknowledge his problem and seek help meant he became increasingly locked in a vicious betting cycle, mounting up huge debts and eventually turning violent.
"It was a dark secret he kept for many years. He worked nights as a driver and it started with him going to casinos. When things shifted online, there were more options – football, other sports, roulette, slots…he did them all," Julie said.
"I only found out because he was in such a mess with five credit cards maxed out to £60k, some taken out in my name. He had remortgaged the house and taken loans, so we were more than £250k in debt. Over the years it probably took a million. I went into shock and just wanted to hold everything together for the family, even though his personality changed, and he became abusive. I always tried to help but he just shunned it."
The addiction became worse during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, when he would gamble online for 12-hour binges.
"He wouldn't get washed or dressed. The four-hour cut off period to take 'responsible rest' is meaningless because he would simply switch to a different operator then return to the previous one. There are so many loopholes," she said.
"We had no money for food and at one point I was holding down five different jobs doing care work and cleaning to pay the mortgage. I opened my own bank account so the bills were paid and we didn't lose the roof over our heads."
The final straw came when, on top of the coercive control, he became violent.
"Survival instinct kicked in and I had to focus on the children. He never admitted the problem and eventually succumbed to it completely, taking his own life. We lost so much – not just the money, but a husband, father, and many friends along the way. There are no real winners – it took away absolutely everything from us."
Julia and her children, now aged 20 and 24, are gradually rebuilding their lives. A move to the coast is on the horizon to escape the home which still harbours traumatic memories.
"It's time for a fresh start but the scars will be there forever. He was a clever man who only wanted the best for his family, but betting turned him into someone else. I speak to so many men in their 40s who have slipped down the same path. With better self-understanding and mental health support, there's more chance to change and beat the temptation," Julie said.
"But what really needs to happen is industry reform so advertising is more robustly regulated and there are effective restrictive measures on people's gambling in place. Events like this colloquium are great to better understand the many related problems and consider possible ways to limit the risk and damage."
The colloquium also featured keynote speaker Brianne Doura-Schawohl, who is spearheading international gambling policy change and has a proven track record of legislative progress in this field in the US and across the world.
Brianne said: "Gambling always has been, and will always be, pervasive and deeply rooted within our culture. However, the massive expansion has had unprecedented impacts, including profound and worrisome ramifications on public health. Julie's heart-wrenching story is a tragic example of this. With a woefully inadequate system to address harmful gambling, my session at the colloquium highlighted the desperately needed policies, both legislative and regulatory, that would better protect players and the public.
"I am honoured to be a part of this colloquium, which aims to increase awareness and evidence about this global health issue. It's a great opportunity to learn from others through many compelling conversations and presentations highlighting what more we can collectively do."
In 2022 the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research was launched at the University of Bristol to lead pioneering multidisciplinary research into the wide-reaching effects of gambling harms.
The independent hub, funded by a grant of £4million from national charity GambleAware, facilitates world-leading research to improve understanding of gambling harm as a growing public health issue which needs greater scrutiny and regulation.
Prof Michele Acuto, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, said: "We are very proud of the pioneering work of the Bristol Hub for Gambling Harms Research, which unites leading experts in the field to advance our understanding of the complexity of gambling harms.
"This event is an example of our collective endeavour to keep pushing for positive change, as part of the University's mission to protect public health, overcome inequalities, and champion social justice."
