Gambling epidemic in sports stars circle

Gambling epidemic in Irish sports stars circle - McConville
Former Armagh ace Oisin McConville has said many sports people are dealing with gambling addictions in Ireland, just like he once did.

McConville, now a qualified addiction counsellor, helps troubled sports stars to come to terms with their addiction and said it’s commonplace at the moment.

“I speak not just to GAA players, it’s sports people in general who contact me about their gambling problems,” McConville said.

“I don’t have all the answers, but I will be able to point them in the right direction. When people are ready to make that phone call, they are already in the depths of despair.”

In 2007, McConville admitted to having amassed €115,000 in gambling debts. The All-Ireland winner, with club and county, started gambling in his early teens before eventually taking out bank loans, selling household appliances and borrowing money from friends and family during adulthood.

“My light bulb moment came when I gambled €10,000 on a horse,” McConville said, an admission he already made in an autobiography.

“After it lost, I went out to the car and scrambled around for loose change. I found about €8 and went back for another bet.

“I firmly believed I was going to recoup the €10,000 and more with that €8.”

McConville has recently been promoting Toranfield House addiction centre.