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Major tournaments can be one of the hardest times of year for anyone affected by gambling. The football is everywhere, and so are the messages to bet on it. Tom Lamb, a member of the Chapter One team, lived through that and now works to help others recognise the effects of gambling before they take hold. Here, he shares what World Cups felt like during the years gambling was part of his life, what changed, and what he would say to anyone finding this tournament difficult.

What was the World Cup like for you when gambling was part of your life?

Prior to gambling my first memory of the world cup was watching England vs Nigeria in the 2002 world cup, our school let us watch it during lessons and I think that was pretty common across the UK for people my age! I was absorbed by the whole thing, from Nigeria’s kit to seeing all these different types of players. It was mesmerising.

From then on world cups and major sporting events were a huge deal for me, my friends and family. But as my gambling escalated I lost my ‘love’ for the game. Whilst others would be desperate for England to win, or maybe get a result. Depending on who I had bet on and the outcome would dictate my mood.

The world cup and major sporting events bring people together and are emotive and stimulate emotions that you can't even explain, yet due to gambling all I was absorbed in was the 10-1 first goalscorer who hadn’t come in. No outpours of emotion and no celebrations, just isolation and disappointment.

Why do you think major sporting events like the World Cup can be particularly challenging for people affected by gambling?

I think day to day for anyone affected by gambling is difficult but I feel major sporting events just bring it further to the forefront of our minds. You can't escape it, there's a game every day, all hours of the day and plenty of adverts to keep you hooked. I think also as previously mentioned it’s an emotive time, it's your country against the rest and we all want to win. It brings people together and creates a carnival atmosphere, which for me is a dangerous mix as someone who was struggling. Combat that with the normalisation of gambling in social groups and pressure from social media (everyone is having the best time) you feel further that you need to keep up appearances, which in turn deepens the mask that you are putting on to hide your gambling. It is a really tough time for anyone who may be struggling.

Thinking about the work you do now around preventing gambling harm, what do you want the public and professionals to understand about the risks associated with major sporting events like the World Cup?

The work I do now is great and I really enjoy it. I provide educational sessions to professionals around gambling harms, spotting the signs and getting the relevant support for anyone who may be impacted by gambling. I think the main thing I would like the public and professionals to know is that your actions count and that big sporting events such as the world cup provide an opportunity to educate and raise awareness to the world (no pun intended) We all have a responsibility to look out for one another and be able to allow safe spaces for people to open up and share their struggles.

The world cup is a global event, and can be a spotlight for change. All global sporting events can be a catalyst for change. With the world cup being based in America you don’t need to go too far back in history to highlight sporting events that have triggered change such as Jesse Owens, Tommie Smith, John Carlos or Colin Kaepernick. And most recently, Alex Scott at the 2022 world cup in Qatar sporting the rainbow armband in solidarity with the LGBTQ community. What's to stop someone making a stance about the excessive gambling advertisement, promotion and manipulation of millions of people.

Looking back, were there any signs that your gambling during football tournaments had become a problem?

It's difficult to answer because I had stopped gambling prior to the 2022 World Cup and before that I was too absorbed by gambling to recognise the signs. I think the one that I will say as highlighted before is that I do remember being pretty emotionally void throughout most tournaments when I was gambling. I vividly remember not wanting England to win at certain points as I wouldn’t want to celebrate with other people, why wouldn’t I want to celebrate? Probably because I had lost a bet.

The warning signs for me are feeling withdrawn even when with close friends or family or you noticing your mood changing based on the outcome of your bets.

I would never tell anybody not to gamble, but if you are noticing your patterns are not similar or you are spending more time and money than you normally would then there is help and support out there. And if you notice you are thinking about gambling more and more, that’s not your fault, you are reminded pretty much every hour that you can get the best odds from x, y and z providers.

How has your experience of watching football changed since stepping away from gambling?

My experience has changed since stopping gambling, in such that I don’t really watch football anymore. The gamblification of the game, the greed and my love for it has gone a fair bit. I have reengaged with the game from a physical standpoint and have begun playing again since stopping gambling that I do really enjoy. I will still watch the games at this world cup and look forward to being with my friends and family, This is my daughter's first world cup so it will be special from that standpoint, I'm just glad I'll be more present with her for this one!

What message would you give to someone who is struggling with gambling during this World Cup?

There is help out there, it does get better, it is tough but you can do it and most importantly it's not your fault and you need to forgive yourself. Be open, be honest and most importantly be vulnerable and open to having support.