Patrick Foster Gambling
A former Northamptonshire cricketer is warning others about the impact of addiction after racking up hundreds of thousands of pounds of gambling debts.
Patrick Foster was one of the cricketers suffering from problem gambling. Born and raised in Kenya, he received education in Northamptonshire before realising his dream of becoming a professional. Lessons Learned from Talking about Gambling to 15,000 Pro Athletes Patrick Foster Insights into EPIC Risk Management’s work with over 15,000 pro athletes, focusing on problem gambling (PG) risk and protective factors. An important presentation about the often overlooked but crucially important intersection between gambling and the sports world. In this podcast we speak to former professional cricketer and recovering gambling addict, Patrick Foster, who is helping educate young people on gambling and its links to the gaming culture and industry. Suggested resource: www.epicriskmanagement.com. A former teacher has spoken of how he was minutes from committing suicide, waiting on a railway line for a train to come, after racking up gambling debts of £150,000. Foster (deceased) (Foster the Dog, 1994–98) A French mastiff adopted by Luke, Laura and Lucky Spencer. As a stray, he was hit by a car, prompting Lucky Spencer to walk again after being shot. Foster’s death was faked after he was arrested for biting a bully, and he was 're-born' as Foster II.
Just a few months ago Patrick Foster was thinking about ending his life, but now he's speaking out about his recovery to raise awareness of compulsive gambling.
Click below for Sarah Byrd's report
Patrick Foster played for Northamptonshire before heading off to University.
And that's where he started gambling.
Patrick said: 'It was fun, it was a hobby, it was very much amongst my peers and mates, it was something that we did on a Saturday, a football accumulator, a bet on the horses, whatever it might be and that was definitely the beginning of the end, as it were.'
When Patrick's cricket dream ended, gambling filled the gap.
'When I was playing professional sport, you get that intensity, it's very competitive, you get that instant response, instant reaction from how you're doing, whether you're succeeding, failing and gambling kind of filled that void,' said Patrick.
'And those bets, they went very quickly from being a £1 accumulator on a Saturday, to being £100 on a horse to, in the latter days, being £1000 and beyond that.
Patrick Foster Gambling Casinos
'When I think back now, you think, my word, what was I doing? But, it genuinely didn't feel like that £1 that it started with, was any different to the £1000 that it finished with.'
My rock bottom was standing at the end of a train platform about to end my life.
Did you know that cricketers are three times more likely to suffer from gambling addiction than an average young man?
These competitive, wealthy youngsters are long seen as cash machines for casinos and bookmakers, and a study conducted for the Professional Players’ Federation back in 2014 has proved the idea right. Based on confidential questionnaires from nearly 350 cricketers and footballers, the research revealed that 6.1% of professional sportsmen would be classified as problem gamblers, while only 1.9% of young men in the general population would be classed as having gambling issues.
That means almost 200 current professional cricketers and football players in the UK have serious gambling problems, and 440 others are “at risk.”
The study also reflected that one in 10 of these athletes gambled to “fit in.” One in four claimed that their teammates encouraged them to gamble, and almost one in three revealed that the association between their teams and the gaming industry “encouraged” them to gamble.
Patrick Foster Gambling Scandal
Paul Matthews, editor at Casinostoplay.com, comments: 'When it comes to team sponsorships, gambling brands have taken the place of beer brands, but some overseas brands are not doing enough to protect gambling addicts. The UK Gambling Commission is tightening the rules and regulations around online gambling and betting, and hopefully, we can create a safer and more fun environment for everyone. At Casinostoplay.com, we care a lot about responsible gaming and player-friendly mechanisms, such as Casumo's lock withdrawal feature, heavily impact our scores.
Ex-Cricketer Patrick Foster was Thinking About Ending his Life
Patrick Foster was one of the cricketers suffering from problem gambling. Born and raised in Kenya, he received education in Northamptonshire before realising his dream of becoming a professional cricketer at Northants. He continued to captain Durham University MCCU.
After his cricketing career ended, Foster went into teaching and remained in the education sector for the last seven years. He was responsible for the cricket at two prestigious independent schools.
Nevertheless, the lack of intensity of sports in his life has created a vacuum that eventually drove Foster into gambling addiction. Over the past ten years, the former cricketer accumulated hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of debt, which will take him over a decade to pay off. His gambling problems not only cost him money but also his job, relationships and nearly his life. Foster mentioned in his memoir that he thought about ending his life by taking tablets or crashing his car.
Patrick Foster Gambling Addiction
Fortunately, sense prevailed and Foster decided to text his brother. Now the man is going through a treatment programme and is ready to tell his story in schools and cricket clubs across the UK.
Gambling is almost an integral part of our culture. Three-quarters of the British adult population gambled last year, and betting sponsorships have saved many sports from struggling. However, looking at the result of the 2014 study and Patrick Foster’s story, it is undeniable that British sports in the UK have to reevaluate their relationship with gambling.
©Cricket World 2018