A man was left more than £80,000 in debt after being "sucked in" by "ridiculous" gambling websites.
Rob, who has asked for his surname not to be used, is now issuing a stark warning to others, at a time when so many are experiencing money worries. The Liverpool FC fan now wants to help others, after spectacularly turning his life around.
Speaking to the ECHO, Rob said: "I was never into football bets or horse racing, it was purely online poker. I was probably the worst poker player you'd ever met [back then] but I won £7,500 and that was it.
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"It set me off on a spiral, I was going to pay my mortgage off, do this, do that, I was going to be professional gambler, I got sucked in.
"There were these ridiculous high-roller websites with a minimum bet of, like, £250. You'd be betting against millionaires, but it felt like Monopoly money because it was all on a credit card and you never saw it".
With such high stakes, Rob said his credit cards didn't last very long. The 46-year-old appeared on Martin Lewis' Money Live Show on Tuesday, and became emotional as he told viewers how the events led to him trying to take his own life.
He recalled: "6th of January, 2007, I was more low than ever. It was like a moment in my life where I realised, I can’t do this, I don’t ever want to go back to that moment again where I needed to, I just didn’t want to be in that situation ever again."
Rob spent months living in his car, and said he hated the person he had become. He said it was actually a Martin Lewis appearance back in 2007 that helped him on his first step out of the "dark times".
He said: "I'd seen Martin Lewis mention a charity called Step Change, and I got in touch with them. They changed everything, they did a full inventory and made a debt management plan. It was that simple.
"I hadn't slept in weeks, the demands kept coming in and I didn't know what I would do, but after I spoke with Step Change I had probably the best night's sleep I've ever had".
Rob has now been debt-free for four years. He has a full-time job and a happy life with his "amazing" wife and step-son. He added: "If you'd told me then this is how my life would be now, I would never, ever, have believed you."
Rob also credits Gamblers Anonymous for being a huge help in his recovery, as he attended meetings for 10 years. He said: "I just want people to know that help is out there. There are meetings all over Liverpool. Nobody is alone." He now has more than 16 years clean from gambling.
During the show, Martin Lewis told viewers at home who might be going through a similar experience: "It’s tough right now but I have been doing this job a long time and in a huge amount of cases, there’s light at the end of the tunnel."
Step Change said just minutes after the episode aired, thousands of people had been in touch with the charity. Rob believes gambling laws should be changed to protect people, and is calling for the use of credit cards on gambling sites to be banned.
For free debt advice and debt management help visit stepchange.org
To find a Gamblers Anonymous meeting near you visit gamblersanonymous.org.uk
The Martin Lewis Money Live Show returns on Tuesday at 8pm on ITV and ITVX
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