A mum-of-two’s gambling addiction left her in £35,000 worth of debt and relying on food banks.
Kerry Walsh says her childhood habit with scratch cards spiralled into a secret addiction.
That left her facing eviction and hiding from bailiffs while going into labour with daughter Isabella, one.
The 26-year-old, who has been gamble-free since July 2024, says her life was consumed by the “rush” of betting.
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On payday, she could spend £700 in a single day on online slot games.
“Sometimes I could blow through all my money in 20 minutes, other days it would be hours,” Kerry, from Wigan, said.
“I’d be devastated when I lost it and I’d be trying to think of ways I could get it back.
“I struggle to buy essentials and I’d rely on food banks.
“Then, I started taking out loans.
“I was on universal credit and I’d sit and wait for my money to come in.
“I’d spent £300 in the night but tell my partner I’d gambled a tenner.
“You can do it very privately because it’s on your phone.
“I stopped paying my rent which built up to £5,000 in arrears.
“Universal credit would pay my rent and I was supposed to give it to my landlord but I didn’t.
“So I was told if I didn’t clear my arrears I would be evicted.
“I maxed out a £1,500 overdraft buying things for the house and gambling.
“I racked up £4,000 in gas and electric and I didn’t pay my council tax.
“When I got letters, I would just bin them.
“On the day I went to hospital to be induced with my daughter, there were two bailiffs at the door.
“I told them I was having a baby and shut the door.
“When I finally looked at my finances two years ago, I was in £34,000 worth of debt.
“It was sickening.”
Her addiction began at just 14, when family members would buy her scratch cards from the local shop.
When she got her first job as a scare actor at 16, she spent all of her wages on them.
Kerry, who is also mum to AJ, one, also told Need To Know: “I could easily spend £30 to £50 a day on scratch cards.
“Once I took myself into town with £60 to do some shopping.
“But I just went to four or five shops buying scratch cards, cashing it in and going to another shop.
“I won £50 on a £10 scratch card and when I cashed it in I told the woman I got it in a Christmas card, that was the first time I lied about my gambling.
“I never kept my winnings.
“It was the rush that it gave me and the thought of getting more money than what I had.”
When Kerry turned 18, she moved down the road from a bingo hall and got a job there.
She also became addicted to online slot games.
Kerry said: “I’d see something I wanted, tell myself that I could put my money on bingo then I could buy it.
“My life revolved around not buying things I needed until I’d made more money by gambling.
“I wanted more money to have a luxurious lifestyle.
“Growing up, I was one of four, we didn’t have a lot of money.
“Everyone else would have nice things like phones and I’d have to beg and please and save up.
“But my parents did do a really good job.
“At 18, I moved into supported accommodation that was down the road from a bingo hall so I’d go to there on a regular basis.
“And I’d put all my money on slots and wonder why I didn’t have any money.
“I started working at the bingo hall and we’d all gamble on lunch so I convinced myself I didn’t have a problem because everyone was doing it.
“I’d see the same people all the time at the bingo hall and on the slots.”
Kerry took her first step to recovery in July 2024 by contacting gambling addiction charity, Gamcare.
She hasn’t gambled since July the same year and took out a debt relief order.
Kerry said: “I spent my last £10 and had a feeling I’d never felt before and asked myself why I was doing it.
“I reached out to Gamcare and they called me to offer support.
“Then New Beginnings, which is women only support group reached out to me.
“It was awful trying to stop and for a month I kept falling back into it.
“I realised I couldn’t do it anymore and I wanted to have a good life without gambling.
“After I’d pit the kids to bed, I’d switch my phone off, clean the house and read a book.
“I set myself a goal of reading all of the Harry Potter books and I read four or five.
“I asked other people what was helping them and put that into practise in my own life.
“I used to sit and wait for my money to go in.
“Now when I get paid, I make sure I’m out of the house and keeping my mind occupied.
“If I feel tempted, I have people I can speak to.
“Life is amazing now and I know that money isn’t everything.”
Kerry is sharing her story to warn how easy it is to get addicted to gambling.
She added: “It’s so easy to gamble.
“It takes not even five minutes to sign up.
“You put in your details, show your ID and you’re good to go.
“Even after they message asking if you want to stop, they’ll allow you to deposit more and more.
“Gambling platforms have links for help but if someone doesn’t want help they aren’t going to click on them.
“They need to stop letting people deposit big amounts.
“They need a maximum per day.
“The limit shouldn’t be more than £100 a week because I’d do that in ten minutes.”
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