Editor’s note – Lucky Peterson plays Brisbane Premier Cricket for South Brisbane. Lucky made his first grade debut at South Brisbane in 2011 and was previously the first grade captain. He stood as captain this season and continues to play.
Truth
With 2 day cricket starting this weekend for all club cricketers I thought it was an appropriate time to publicly open up about something I’ve experienced for the last 8 years. Things I’m not proud of and am greatly embarrassed about but I feel as though it needs to be shared for me, for others, and for awareness purposes for those closest to me and for the millions of people in Australia that this issue has affected directly and indirectly.
So here it is, for the last 8 years I’ve had a gambling addiction... it started as small bets, footy bets, having a beer with mates which I’m sure most of us have done in our life...But for the last 5-6 years it’s become an out of control addiction which I haven’t been able to stop. In those 5-6 years I’d predominantly gambled on horses. Surprisingly the casino or sporting games (footy, soccer etc) didn’t seem to interest me or should I say I didn’t feel the impulse to gamble compared to betting on the horses as i guess it’s a quick result compared to watching a sports game for 80min. My bets weren’t small, they were big amounts that in all have totalled hundreds of thousands of my own money over the last 8 years. It makes me sick to my stomach writing this but when you can’t control the impulse, it means there is no good thought process ever involved.
Your fingers just tap large values on the screen and you proceed to bet (online gambling).
I can honestly say the most money I’d have at the end of any given week in the last 5 years was in the hundreds and in the last 2 years I would completely empty my account every single day. I would then wait to work the next day to get paid again (money easily accessible due to the nature of the private coaching industry) and then at the end of the day would deposit straight into my Sportsbet account (main account I would use) and lose it all almost instantly unless I won a bet which I would then most likely continue to gamble and lose it that night or the following day.
This obsessive cycle had been going on for 2 years every single day. I’d bet in the car, at weddings, parties, toilet breaks, into the late hours of the night, mornings, before cricket and after cricket. It would be everywhere and anywhere at the touch of a button.
Over the course of the last few years I would distance myself from my best mates, I would not pick up calls or make plans to see them, I would distance myself from my parents and family (as I was embarrassed and ashamed), my cricket and overall training suffered as I had no drive to train/not be in the right mindset.
I was constantly lying to my family, my GF (now ex) and my friends to keep it hidden even though those closest to me knew something was up (family, friends, cricket coaches). I didn’t want to see anyone or go anywhere and I was happy sitting alone at home hiding. People would often ask why I seemed agitated or down and I would hide behind the lie of “I’m down because of Mums cancer” or I’m not feeling great because “I had a big day of coaching”. Yes that may affect me but it’s not the main reason why I’d felt that way.
On a certain day in March this year following a family event, we were all sitting at an RSL having drinks and I had $31 in my account (debit card and overall savings combined). The whole time I was there with friends I was as nervous as I didn’t have any money in my account as I had bought the first round of drinks. I sat there petrified in case I had to go shout another round or even go buy lunch. This would happen on a regular basis hence why I would never head out with mates or spend money on things as I quiet simply gambled it all. There are other examples of friends and family calling me on my way home from training to tell me to go past a shop and get some drinks or milk and I would be trying to find coins under my car seat to pay for It as I’d just emptied my account on a horse race which I’d lost. There’s plenty more examples that I am not proud of.
The point is, it was beyond bad and I couldn’t stop the cycle I was in.
So the following day in March I woke up and knew I had enough of it all. The lying, the secrets, the faking of being happy when I was always down due to the emotional rollercoaster you’re on when you are a gambler, not being close with my family or friends, not being able to focus at cricket nor wanting to train, not wanting to get intimate with my partner, not wanting to exercise, not having money to ever do anything. The list goes on. Of course there were highs when I would win but they would be short lived.
I opened up to those closest to me the following day and it was like an earthquake had hit everyone’s lives. I lied, betrayed and kept things from those closest to me so I do not blame them one bit for the disappointment and repercussions that followed especially in terms of my relationship with my partner at the time.
My relationship ended and as a result have moved into a place renting with a mate. Again, I do not blame anyone but myself, I have no grudges, and at the end of the day who wants to be with a gambler with $0 to his name who kept it hidden for so long?
So what have I done to sort out this addiction?
I’ve permanently banned myself from all betting agencies (I had accounts with nearly every single online agency due to their sign up 100% deposit matches) and have been seeing a psychologist (something I’ve never done before) so am taking the appropriate steps forward to beat the addiction. Dalia (my sister) had been looking after my finances as I did not have access to my accounts until I was in a good space to trust myself with money coming in. Hour by hour she edited my excel spreadsheet to show me who’s paid me and how much money I’d have in separate accounts so she’s been unbelievable in that respect.
Money comes and goes, the issue was the constant lies, hiding, and the emotional drainage over the last 5 years.
I know I will get through this and come out stronger and hopefully one day (NOW!) can help other people/athletes going through the same thing overcome their gambling addiction and reach their true potential whilst enjoying the gift of life. We are all put on this earth to play a role and I know I can definitely help others get through their nightmare.
This needed to be posted for everyone to see for my conscience! There’s more to the story but at least you get the idea straight out of the mouth of a past gambler.
I don’t want to hide anymore, no more lies! It’s my shit and I’ll own it and help others conquer this universal issue.
So what am I going to do?
I will be starting a non-profit organisation ‘Punt the Punt’ whereby I’d love to visit workplaces, cricketing clubs and in time other sporting clubs and schools in Brisbane to spread awareness and my experiences with the disease of Gambling. It is so accepted in today’s society and it is sickening to think that just because the government makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year from it that it’s acceptable. Every 2nd advertisement on TV during a sporting event is either Sportsbet or Ladbrokes so what chance do our teenagers and youngsters have when they are growing up sub-consciously soaking in these betting agency ads and having it nearly everywhere they go. The majority of club sports in Australia are filled with players who like to gamble. Cricket is the main sport whereby you may get out and have to sit on the sidelines for hours on hours without being able to do much, this is the prime time for the everyday clubbie to get the phone out and have a punt. I am not saying all people that gamble will turn into addicts but when someone cannot watch a footy game without having a punt or cannot sit at cricket without watching a horse race you have your problem.
I’ll be posting videos (interviews with other athletes and Facebook lives), pictures, and sharing other stories of mine that I did not share above, in order to spread awareness. I may not be able to help many, but for those that are in need who have not opened up I hope this gives you the courage to make a change.
You are not alone! My DM’s are always open
199 days clean and counting!
Much love ❤
Lucky Peterson
Please SHARE if you’d like to help me make a difference! You will most likely save someone’s life ❤
Join the cricket network to promote your business and expertise. Make it easy for people to search and find the people and services they need through people they know and trust.
Join the network
