£3,500 lost in 39 minutes

TONY Franklin once lost £3,500 on high-speed high-stakes fixed-odds betting terminals in just 39 minutes.

And last September, he lost thousands more after a snap decision to drop in to a bookmaker. The campaigner for the Gambling Hurts pressure group was on his way to speak at a conference on the subject.

He said: “It’s hard to describe that moment when you make the wrong decision. I had that moment when I thought, ‘Oh go on, I’ll have a go.’

Chaotic

“The dopamine kicked in. I lost all the money out of my wallet and then another £2,740. Then I tried to get that back...more and more money on to my card. No one in the shop raised an eyebrow.”

Now 46 and originally from near Liverpool, Mr Franklin said he had struggled with gambling addiction since the age of 10 or 11. He did not see his parents or siblings from the age of 16 until he was in his early 20s because of his “chaotic behaviour”.

When his son was two years old, the family house was repossessed.

He said: “I don’t need to be told gambling ruins lives. It’s ruined mine several times.”

Mr Franklin said he has tried everything from abstinence to therapy to attending Gamblers Anonymous and was finally recently diagnosed with ADHD, for which he is now being successfully treated.

He said of today’s decision by the Government to slash stakes on terminals: “It’s a victory for common sense and for all the problem gamblers and their families who have been impacted by fixed-odds betting terminals on the high street.

“I hope that this decision sends shivers across the industry, that if you extract money from the poor and vulnerable you will ultimately be held accountable.”